


My New Best Friend

by Lorren



Category: Divergent Series - Veronica Roth, Legend Series - Marie Lu
Genre: AO3 FB Challenge, Crossovers & Fandom Fusions, Easter Eggs, Eventual Romance, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Male-Female Friendship, UST
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-25
Updated: 2018-10-29
Packaged: 2019-06-16 05:33:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 21,421
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15430077
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lorren/pseuds/Lorren
Summary: What would happen if Day and June from Legend were born in the Divergent universe?  They'd join Dauntless, duh!  Well, at least they do in this story.  Then they become friends.  At least that's what they want to keep telling themselves.This story takes place the year after Four's initiation and the year before Tris's initiation.





	1. The Test

**Daniel**

I sit at the table in the school cafeteria with my peers, bored.

I hate my faction.  I don't mind helping people, but I do hate all the other rules that come along with it.  Sit here and be quiet.  Think of everybody else more highly than you.  Did you have a birthday?  Who cares?  It's just another day.  Another quiet, boring afternoon in Abnegation.  Just like now, sitting at this table quietly, with my hands folded in my lap.

I'm tired of it.

It's a hot July day, and sweat is running down my back.  We're under a power restriction today, so they have to minimize the use of air conditioning.  Half of the summer is already over, and we're still in school, thanks to the harsh winter that we had last year.  The snow was so bad that school was cancelled for nearly a month, which caused us to have to keep going here until the middle of July.  My mom said that she'd never seen weather that bad in her entire life.

My Choosing Ceremony, where I will determine what faction I will join for the rest of my life, is tomorrow.  When my brother John was ready for his Choosing Ceremony, he decided to stay in Abnegation.  He's always been very kind, putting other people ahead of him.  My little brother Eden might pick Abnegation as well, once he gets to be old enough.

No matter what my test says, I don't plan on staying here.  I'm tired of these gray robes.  I'm tired of being invisible.

"Daniel Wing," a woman calls out from room three.  She's an older lady with black hair with a few grey streaks in it.  As she turns around, I notice the top of a tattoo sticking out from the top of her black shirt.  She's from Dauntless, the faction of the brave.

The other factions are Amity, which is full of friendly people, Erudite, for smart people, and Candor, where people are agonizingly honest.  Today's test should tell me which faction to choose.  I already have an idea of what it's going to say though.  I know what I want it to say.

The room she takes me into is full of mirrors.  There's a chair in the middle of the room, similar to the ones that you find at the dentist.  I admire myself in the mirror.  Normally, I’m only allowed to look in the mirror once a month, after my mom gives me a haircut.

_Not bad_ , I think.  _If only I weren't wearing these drab, gray clothes, girls might think that I'm cute_.  My hair is short, like every other boy in Abnegation, but it sticks out like a sore thumb because of its white-blonde color, which practically glows in the dark.  My eyes are blue like oceans.  Not that it matters in Abnegation.  I am expected to keep my head down and my clothes plain.  And it doesn't matter what girls think.  If I stayed in Abnegation, one day I might impress some girl enough with my community service skills so much that she might let me marry her and hold her hand.

_I think not_.

The woman smirks at me.  "Don't see too many Abnegation staring at themselves in the mirror," she says.  "Take a seat and get comfortable.  I'm Tori."

I grin at her.  _Not every boy in Abnegation is as attractive as I am_.  I sit down in the chair and watch her as she gathers some electronic equipment.  She turns towards me and sticks electrodes on my forehead.  She attaches wires to them, and then attaches an electrode to her own forehead.

She hands me a small cup of clear liquid.  "Drink this," she says.

This has got to be the strangest test I have ever taken.  I stare at Tori in disbelief for a moment, then drink.

 

I’m in the school cafeteria again, but I’m alone.  I have no clue how I got here.  In front of me, on one of the long tables, are two baskets.  One has a knife, the other has a hunk of cheese.

"Choose," I hear a woman's voice say.

_What for?_ is my first reaction.  The hairs on the back of my neck stand up.  I'm a little hungry, but what if I'm going to be in danger?  _In the school cafeteria?_   That sounds a little strange, I think, but then again, sometimes people like to pick on me because of my faction.  I suppose that's not very selfless of me, but then again, that's one of the reasons why I hate Abnegation.

I decide to pick up the knife.  It's the safer option.

Behind me, I hear growling.  I turn around and see a vicious looking dog.  He slowly approaches me, snarling as he takes slow steps.  I'm afraid that he might try to lunge at me.

I’m glad I took the knife.

He jumps, and I hold out the knife.  It impales the soft flesh in his belly.  I slash at his stomach.  Blood and entrails start to leak out.  Fortunately, I'm not squeamish.  I see enough despair when I have to volunteer with the factionless on the weekends.  They don't have homes, and are expected to live off of the charity of those of us that are more fortunate.

The dog yelps, backs away a step, and slowly starts to die.  I notice that I'm shaking.  I've never killed an animal before.  I never wanted to, but I had to.  I crouch down and set the knife on the floor, looking sadly at what I've done.

The next thing I know, I’m on a bus.  All of the seats are full, so I grab a pole and hang on.  I'm used to this; from an early age, I've been taught to give up my seat for others.  That's what people in Abnegation do.

An old man sits in the seat next to where I'm standing.  He is holding a newspaper, and has burns on his hands.

"Do you know this guy?" the man says, tapping on a picture in the front of his newspaper.  I notice the headline: "Brutal Murderer Finally Apprehended!"  Below the headline, there's a picture of a young man with a beard.  I think I know him, but I don't know from where.  I look at the man with the burns.  I don't think it's a good idea to tell him that.

"Well?" the man asks, insistently.  "Do you?"  I see panic in his eyes.

I shake my head.  I don't need to get involved in whatever mess Mr. Burnhands is in.

"You're lying!" he shouts.

"No, I don't know who he is," I say, more insistently.

"I know you're lying!  I can see it in your eyes."  He looks desperate.  "If you know him, you could save me!"

"No, I'm sorry," I say.

 

I was dreaming.  I think I was dreaming, at least.  I'm back in the room with the mirrors and the dentist chair and that lady named Tori.

"What did I get?" I ask.

"Your result was Dauntless," she says as she takes the electrodes off my forehead.  "I don't think I've ever seen that result from someone in Abnegation before."

Dauntless.  That’s what I hoped it would say.  Last year, Marcus had a son, Tobias, that decided to transfer there.  It was a huge deal.  Nobody else from Abnegation had transferred to Dauntless in recent memory; the fact that Marcus is the leader of Abnegation made it an even bigger deal.  People were gossiping about it for weeks afterwards.

"As you know, you're not supposed to discuss your test results with anybody else," Tori says, almost as if it's a speech that she's memorized.  It probably is.  "You can pick any faction you like, no matter what your results were."

I nod, and get out of my chair.  I almost feel giddy inside.  I was so hopeful for a Dauntless result that I have been secretly doing sit-ups and push-ups in my room for months.  The only person that knows about that is my older brother, John.

I’m glad that I didn't have the aptitude for Abnegation.  I’m looking forward to a life in another faction.

I leave the room and go to my locker.  Some kid with greasy black hair is picking on Beatrice Prior.  Peter Hayes.  What a jerk.  He knocks her books onto the floor.  She bends down to pick them up.

I stoop over to help Beatrice with her books.  "Why do you have to be such a jerk?" I ask Peter.

"What's your problem?" he says to me.  "All you Stiffs think you're so much better than everybody else."

I'm so glad that this is my last day in this faction.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A couple notes about this story:
> 
> Because Day did not grow up in the Lake district in the 2120s, I chose not to have him use Lake slang in this fic. It would be out of place in Divergent's Chicago.
> 
> There are two characters in this story from yet another fandom. I changed their names as I wrote this story, but as I was writing this, in my head they were the characters for the other fandom. See if you can figure out who they are.
> 
> This fic is finished; I just have to do a little more polishing as I post it. The entire work should be up in the next few weeks or so.
> 
> My writing goals for the rest of 2018:  
> August: finish Like Normal People  
> September/October: Finish and post Saving Adelinetta (A Young Elites fanfic) and Hero (a Legend fanfic)  
> November: NaNoWriMo ~ a historical fanfic in an AU setting with original characters (won't be posted here)  
> December: NaNoWriMo revising
> 
> As a result, it doesn't look like I'll be finishing Gamers until 2019. I may write some one-shots or short stories in addition to the above, however.


	2. The Erudite

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> June takes her aptitude test.

**June**

The people around me are buzzing about today's aptitude test.

"Do you know how these tests work?" Derrick, a boy that has been in most of my classes for as long as I can remember, asks me.  Like most of the Erudite at our table, he has an open book in front of him, but he's not reading it.  It's all a show for the adults to think that we're actually interested in being academic all the time.

I shrug.  "I know the Erudite develop the test, but they won't tell us how they work."  I guess we'll find out after initiation.  _If_ we choose Erudite.

"I wonder what my test results will say," my friend Nancy says, pushing her glasses farther up her nose.  I know she has perfect vision; she just chooses to wear glasses to look smarter.  For some reason, it seems to be the height of Erudite fashion this year.  I personally think it's a ridiculous fad.  "What if my result isn't Erudite?"

I can't imagine Nancy's test results being anything _but_ Erudite.  She usually stays late after school so she can study, or help some dunce from Dauntless learn algebra or some basic type of math.  She is the classic example of someone who belongs in this faction.

I'm not completely sure that's the case with me.

"Don't worry, I’m sure that you'll get Erudite," I assure her.  I think of all the times I went to her house to study.  She actually wanted to _study_.  Not talk about cute boys.  Not gossip about the girl from Abnegation who got pregnant a couple of years ago, or the teacher that went on a date with a Candor boy once.  Study.

Maybe I'm the one who doesn't belong in Erudite.

Don't get me wrong.  I absolutely love reading books.  I love reading books about the military history of this city.  Books about fighting techniques.  I don't mind a science book now and then either.  I'm curious about a lot of things, and notice details that other people overlook.  I just don't live and breathe studying.

In any normal year, I wouldn’t be here today.  Only sixteen year-olds take the aptitude test and choose a faction.  Due to a freak winter where we missed a month of school, the last day of school for the year was postponed until the middle of July.  Right after my sixteenth birthday.  As a result, I'll be a part of this year's Choosing Ceremony, when I was expecting to be in it next year.

"June Iparis."  I hear my name being called.  Natalie Prior is standing outside room 6, waiting for me.  She's the wife of one of the council members, which is how I know who she is; most people in Abnegation don't stick out; they just seem to blur into the background.  She smiles kindly at me.  I get up from the table and wave to my friends.  They wish me good luck.

I enter the room and look around.  It's about ten feet long and ten feet wide.  The room is surrounded by mirrors.  In the center is a faux leather chair that reclines.

"Go ahead and sit, June," she says.  "I'm Natalie."

I nod at her and sit, relaxing back in the chair.  She has a couple of electrodes in her hand and sticks them on my temple.  She turns around for a moment.  When she returns to me, she has a small cup of clear liquid in her hand.

"What's this?" I ask, taking the cup from her.

"Drink it," she says.  "I promise it won't hurt a bit."

 

I’m back in the cafeteria, except nobody is there with me.  There are two baskets on the table.  One has a wedge of cheese; the other has a long knife about as long as my forearm.

"Choose," a voice from behind me says.  It sounds like Jeanine Matthews's voice.  She's the leader of Erudite.  I run into her on occasion.  My family goes to her house sometimes when my dad is working on projects for her at the laboratory.  She seems to have a chilly personality; I don't really like her all that much.

I look at the two options.  I'm not sure what I’m expected to pick.  Why would I need to choose between a knife and a piece of cheese?  A knife is more useful.  With a piece of cheese, I have something to eat once.  With a knife, I could defend myself, or kill little animals to eat if I had to.  Not that I'd want to kill and eat a little animal, but if I had to, at least I wouldn't starve.

I pick the knife.

I turn around.  I hear growling.  It's a dog with dark fur and a smattering of white spots.  When I was younger, I wanted to get a dog.  My parents told me that pets were illogical, so I never got to have one.

The dog lunges at me.

Instinctively, I point the knife at him.  I need to kill him, or at least injure him enough that he won't be able to hurt me.  I aim for the spot underneath his ribs, knowing that it might be difficult to reach his organs right behind his rib cage.

As my knife enters his flesh, he yelps in pain.  I try to aim the knife so that I puncture some of his vital organs, like a lung or his heart.  The dog falls to the ground.  My heart is pounding.  Blood is pouring everywhere.

He's not going to be a threat to me any longer.  I pull the knife out and drop it on the floor, repulsed at what I've just done.

I blink, and I'm on a bus.  A scarred man is hiding behind a newspaper.  There's something wrong with him; he has burns all over his hands.

"Do you know this guy?" he asked, tapping his hand on the newspaper.  There is an ordinary looking man with a beard on the front page, next to words like "Murderer" on the front.

As far as I know, there hasn't been a murder in this city in years.

I shake my head.  "No, I don't know him," I say.  Something tells me I do know him, although I don't know from where.  This guy is giving me the creeps.

"Are you sure you don't know him?  I think you're lying!" he says.  He looks like he's beginning to get desperate.  I get the feeling that I want to get away from him before he does something crazy.

"I don't know him," I repeat, more emphatically.

"You can help me!" he pleads.  "If you know him, you can save me."

"No, I'm sorry," I say.  "I can't help you."

 

My eyes open, and I'm no longer on the bus.  I’m back in the chair that I was in before.  Natalie is looking at me.

"Is that it?" I ask.  "What was my result?"

"Your result was Dauntless," she tells me, taking the electrodes off of my forehead.  "You're free to pick any faction that you like tomorrow.  You can stay in Erudite, transfer to Dauntless, or pick a different faction entirely.  It's up to you.  We ask that you don't share your results with anyone, however."

"Okay."  I feel a little dizzy as I rise from the chair.

Natalie smiles at me with kind eyes.  She must have noticed my lightheadedness.  "It's a perfectly normal reaction to be a little dizzy after this test," she says.  "Don't worry about it."

I thank her, and leave the room, pondering my results.  Should I transfer to Dauntless?  I never really considered it before.  I do read a lot of military books though.  Maybe I have always known that there was a braver part of me, even though I didn't always want to admit it to myself.  I guess I'll have to think about it tonight.

As I return to my next class, I see a boy in gray with white-blonde hair picking up books for a blonde haired Abnegation girl in the hallway.  Peter Hayes is standing right next to them, a scowl on his face.  He's such a bully.  I wish that he'd just leave those poor Abnegation kids alone.  It's not like they've ever done anything to him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Comments are always appreciated!


	3. Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daniel spends his last evening at home before the Choosing Ceremony.

**Daniel**

I walk home after school that evening, thinking about how my life is going to change over the next couple of days.  No more evenings helping Eden with his homework.  I'll never pass out food to the factionless with John ever again.  I'll never sit down to my mom's homemade soup again.  I'll miss all that.

It makes me sad, but my family is probably the only thing I'm going to miss.  I'm not going to miss bullies like Peter Hayes, who thinks that he can push around people like Beatrice Prior just because she's guaranteed to not fight back.  I'm not going to miss false displays of shyness in a girl's presence because "that's just not the way you behave around girls."  Seriously, who wants to wait until you get married before you can _hold hands_ with a girl?  I might be Abnegation, but that doesn't mean that I don't have the same feelings that boys in all the other factions do.  I just can't act upon them.

"Mom, I'm home!" I call as I walk through the door.  Eden is already home, sitting on the floor, working on a science project with John.  My brothers look almost like older and younger carbon copies of me.  As I watch him, I realize that maybe Eden won't pick Abnegation after all.  He's always been a smart kid; perhaps he'll transfer to Erudite.

At least Mom will always have John.  John chose Abnegation three years ago.  He's been going to a lot of community service projects with a girl named Leanne lately.  Maybe they'll get married.  My dad died from cancer when I was eight; John is all Mom has left now.  Other than Eden.  I think if and when John does get married, they'll probably move in with Mom.  That would be good for her.

Mom smiles at me as she sees me in the doorway.  "How was your aptitude test?"

I sigh.  "It was -- what I had hoped.  I can't share my results with you though."

She nods.  "Of course not."

Even though she's smiling at me, I see sadness in her eyes.  _She knows_.  She must know.  Mom probably even knows where I'm transferring to even.  As a little boy, I could never sit still during church or our monthly faction meetings.  When other people tried to push me around, I've always wanted to stand up for myself.  Once, when I was eight years old, I even got in trouble because I held a girl's hand.  She knows that I was never meant to stay in Abnegation.

 

It's Eden's turn to make dinner tonight.  I decide to help him out, not only because it's the kind of thing that people do in Abnegation, it's also the last evening that I'll spend with my brother.  I want to remember this evening forever.  I might see him on Visiting Days, but it will never be the same again.

I cut up some carrots while Eden sears some chicken in a pan.  We all learn how to cook at young ages here in Abnegation.

"Are you going to transfer, Daniel?" he asks quietly.  He looks fearful.

"What do you think?"

Eden nods.  "I'm afraid that you will."

I sigh.  "Yeah.  I'm sorry."

"Don't be.  This is the rest of your life that we're talking about.  You have to do what makes you happy."

Whoever thought that my baby brother would be so wise?  I put my arm around his back and squeeze lightly.  It's not a very Abnegation act, but it feels like the right thing to do right now.

When we sit down at the table for dinner, we all hold hands.  This is really the only time we touch each other, when we pray before dinner.  Abnegation has always taught that touch is powerful.  We never shake hands, touch girls that we like, or give someone a hug.

"Dear Lord, thank you for this day, and thank you for this food," my mom says.  "Please keep us safe, and please help Daniel make the right decision tomorrow.  Amen."

We all respond with our Amens, and start dishing out our food.  Once I take some food, I pass the dish to the right, which is customary in Abnegation homes.

"This could be our last night together," Mom says.

"Do we have to make this a sad occasion?" I ask.  I don't really want to dwell on tomorrow's Choosing Ceremony at our last dinner.

"No, I don't want this to be a sad evening," Mom says.  "I just think that we should keep that in mind tonight.  So we'll always remember."

I take a bite of my carrots.  Children are not supposed to talk unless spoken to at dinner.  In Abnegation, that is supposed to be our gift to our parents.  Since John has already gone through his Choosing Ceremony, he is already considered an adult and is allowed to speak at the table.  If I get the chance to visit my family in the future, I will be considered an adult, and will also be able to speak at dinner.

"We might get some more money for building materials to help fix the roads," John says.  He works as an assistant to Marcus, the leader of the city.  Because members of Abnegation are supposed to be selfless, the city entrusts us with running the government.  Us until tomorrow, at least.  Tomorrow afternoon I will belong to a different faction.

"That's good," Mom says.  "There are way too many potholes in this city."

Some of the places in the city are dangerous to drive in; the potholes are so large they could swallow a car.  It's almost like there was a war here or something at some time in the past.

We continue to eat dinner as I listen to Mom and John talk, sometimes asking Eden and I questions.

After we eat, I put my dishes in the sink.

"I'll do the dishes for you tonight," Mom offers.  "You probably should think about tomorrow."

I nod.

I see the sadness in her eyes again.

"You already know that I'm transferring, don't you?"

"Yes."  She begins to fill the sink with water.  "I've known for a long time.  You've never really belonged here."  She sighs.  "I just wish that you didn't have to leave us."

"Me too, mom."

I give her a hug.  We embrace each other for a long while.  I hug her for longer than I have probably since I was about kindergarten age.  I don't want to leave my family, but I know that it is really the only choice I can make.  Staying here would only cause me to slowly die inside.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I may not stick to posting a chapter a day, there are some companion characters that will show up later in this book that I will probably want to develop a little further, and that will take a little longer to polish up.
> 
> As always, comments are appreciated. Thank you for reading!


	4. A New Knife, A New Life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Choosing Ceremony.

**June**

My stomach feels like I swallowed butterflies whole for breakfast.

I could hardly sleep last night.  My result yesterday was Dauntless, but is that where I really want to go?  Do I want to fight and patrol the border, or would I rather stay in Erudite with my parents and older brother Metias?  I'm not any surer now than I was this morning.

I barely ate any breakfast.  My parents and brother watched me pick at my food with understanding.  They had been through all of this themselves when they were sixteen.  Metias chose to stay in Erudite.  If I choose to stay, we'd all be together.  I don't know though.

After we get off the elevator on the twentieth floor, I hug Metias and my parents.

"See you soon," my father tells me.  He smiles.  He has confidence that I'll be dropping my blood into the bowl of water today, signifying a choice to stay in Erudite.

I look at the bowls.  They are made out of metal and are large; they're about waist high on me.  There is one bowl for every faction.  In a short while, I will make a cut into my palm and draw a little blood, dripping it into one of the bowls.  In addition to the bowl of water, there are gray stones for those that choose Abnegation, dirt for Amity, sizzling coals for Dauntless, and glass for Candor.

I try to smile at my parents, and then leave them to join the other sixteen year-olds.

We line up in reverse alphabetical order.  Since my last name begins with an I, I will have to wait for more than half of the other kids to go before me.  I wish I could be one of the first and get it over with, even though I still don't know what my choice will be.

The room comes to a hush as the ceremony starts.  Every year, one of the faction leaders gives a speech about how the new crop of sixteen year-olds is on the verge of independence and will soon become a productive member of the community.  Blah blah blah.  The faction leaders rotate every year.  This year, Jeanine Matthews, the leader of my faction, is giving the speech.

I know that I should pay more attention to what she is saying, considering that this is such an important day for me, but I really can't.  I'm still unsure of what I should pick.  Dauntless, or Erudite?  I feel my heart pounding in my throat.  I'm not sure I could hear Jeanine talking even if I wanted to, my heartbeat is so loud.

Soon, she gets to the part where we choose our factions.

Jeanine calls out the first name.  "Sylvia Yantis."

Sylvia is an Amity girl wearing a red and yellow sundress.  She makes a cut in her hand and drips her blood over the dirt.  No surprise there.

"Daniel Wing."

The white-blonde haired boy that I saw yesterday picking up that Abnegation girl's books walks to the front of the room.  He looks like he has too much confidence to be in Abnegation, but there he is, wearing gray.  I don't know if that girl that was with him yesterday is his girlfriend.  Probably not; I don't think high schoolers in Abnegation date.  I've never seen any of them showing any sort of physical affection to anybody.  I've never thought about it before.  Maybe they have arranged marriages.

I watch as he looks back at his family.  He almost looks sad.

He's not going to stay in Abnegation.  I can tell just by looking at him.

He makes a cut in his hand and drips his blood over the coals.

A gasp falls over the room.  Daniel Wing is the first faction transfer.

Kids from Abnegation almost never transfer to Dauntless.  It's practically unheard of.  Last year, Marcus Eaton's son was the first Abnegation member to transfer to Dauntless in my lifetime.  Probably in my parents' lifetimes.  Now, there are two Abnegation transfers to Dauntless in two years.

He almost looks as he feels relief as he leaves the bowls and joins his new faction.  They greet him with whoops and hollers.  His new faction hugs him and pats him on the back, although he looks a little uncomfortable with that.  Dauntless looks like a fun group of people to be with.

If I stay in Erudite, I'll get to be with my family.

If I transfer to Dauntless, I'll be doing what I really want to do.  I want to be a soldier.  I want to be greeted by people who want me like that.

I guess that I have my answer.  I can't stay in Erudite.  Not if the only reason for staying is to be with my family.  I need to think of myself when I choose my faction, because I'm the one that will have to live with my decision for the rest of my life.  Not my parents.  Not Metias.  Me.

"Kerry Peterson," Jeanine says.  The names have been flying by while I was lost in my thoughts.  She's wearing Abnegation gray, and decides to remain in her faction.  Abnegation doesn't see many transfers, so that isn't surprising.

They slowly get to my name.  "June Iparis," I hear.

I walk to the front of the room and they hand me my knife.  A new knife for a new life.  I make a small cut and let blood pool in my palm for two seconds.

I look at the water, then I look at the coals.  I look back at my brother and parents.  I see them smiling at me, but I can't look long.  I know what I have to do, and watching them won't make it any easier.

I stick my hand out over the coals and let my blood drip into the bowl.  It makes a sizzling noise as it lands.

I am Dauntless.

 

I join my new faction and we watch the rest of the kids make their choices.  As soon as the ceremony is over, we start to bolt.  I don't know exactly where to go, so I follow the lead of the other Dauntless.

We run down the stairs.  The Abnegation boy, Daniel Wing, whoops joyously.  I guess he didn't find the choice to leave his faction to be all that difficult.  I smile as I look at all the people around me.  They all look happy.  I must have made the right decision.

After running down the stairs, we run towards the train platform.  I've always loved running.  I love the way it feels as the air around me fills my lungs.  I don't think I've felt this excited before in my life.

I've seen the Dauntless jump onto trains before.  They always take the train to school.  I always thought that jumping onto a moving train sounded a little exciting.  Now I get to try it for myself.

I watch as the people in black run alongside the train, and I mimic them.  I see them grab the handles on the outside of the train and hoist themselves up.  I reach out my hand, grab a handle, and pull.

After I pull myself onto the train, I get away from the door.  It wouldn't make sense for me to pull myself onto the train successfully and then end up falling out.  I take a seat on the floor of the car opposite of the door.  Right next to Daniel.

He smiles at me.  "Hi.  I’m Daniel."

"Hi.  I'm June."  I hold out my hand to shake his.  He looks a little uncomfortable, but he takes my hand anyway.  I forgot that Abnegation have this thing with shaking hands.

"Can you believe it?  Another Stiff decided to transfer to Dauntless!"  A girl in black with eyebrow piercings, strawberry-blonde hair, and a snake tattoo around her arms is looking at him.  "It's almost like it's becoming a trend!"

Daniel rolls his eyes at her.  I'm sure he's heard it all before.

"Wonder how long he'll make it, Ruby," a boy in black with black hair and dark eyes comments to her.  "Bet he's afraid of his own shadow."

Daniel flips them off.

"Guess his mama never taught him how to be polite, Jason," Ruby remarks.

I look around the car.  I notice another transfer from Erudite, Andrew.  I know him from some of my classes.  "Who's your friend?" he asks, tilting his head over at Daniel.

"I can talk for myself, you know," he says.  "I'm Daniel."

"Andrew."

"Nice to meet you."

Andrew is an okay guy.  My brother worked with his parents in the computer lab.

We talk for a while as we watch the world fly by on the train.

After traveling for a while, Ruby stands up.  "Time to jump off!" she says, with a wicked grin on her face.

They want us to jump off the train.  Onto a roof.  These people are crazy.

That might be a good thing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading this! While I'm trying to get this published fairly quickly, I'd rather take a little bit longer and make it better than just publish it as-is and not have it be quite as good. There is some character development that I'd like to do with the side characters; that might delay publication a little bit.
> 
> Comments and kudos are appreciated. Thanks for reading!


	5. A Leap Into the Unknown

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The initiates get off the train and spend their first evening in Dauntless.

**Daniel**

We have to jump.

I knew that at some point we'd have to jump off the train.  I've seen the Dauntless kids come to school before.  I've admired them as I watched them jump off the train in the mornings, laughing and shouting and having a good time.

I just never thought that I'd have to jump off a train from several stories up.

I stand up and watch a few people jump.  I can do this.  I have strong legs; besides, everybody else seems to be making the jump without trouble.  It's a psychological game.

I look over at June.  She looks a little nervous.

"You okay?"

She nods.

"It's not that far," I say, trying to encourage her.  "Everybody else is making the jump; I know you can do it."

June looks at me, smiles and breaks into a run off the train.  I smile and follow her.

When I land on the rooftop, my knees buckle underneath me.  It hits the pavement, tearing a hole in my loose gray robe.  Tiny pebbles embed themselves into my knee.  I stand up and brush myself off.  It stings, but I know that I will be alright.

I have to laugh.  That was amazing.  I've never done something so reckless before.  It feels good.

Next to me, I see that June has also landed safely.  She looks about as thrilled as I feel.

Around me, all of the other initiates have also landed on the roof safely, including Andrew, the Erudite boy that I met on the train.  Some look like they're about to throw up.

"Listen up!" I hear a man's voice shout.  I look over to see a dark-skinned man shouting.  "My name is Max!  I'm one of the leaders of Dauntless!"  He projects confidence.

We're all looking in his direction.

"There's only one way into Dauntless today!  Several stories below us is the entrance.  In order to get inside, you're going to have to jump!  Initiates get to go first."

He's standing at the ledge of a building.  I guess the fear of falling to your death is something that you need to conquer in Dauntless.

"Is it safe?" one of the initiates asks.  He's wearing black and white; he must be from Candor.

"You'll just have to jump to find out," Max says.  "If you wanted safety, you should have stayed in Candor."

We walk towards the ledge.  I'm a little nervous, but then I remember the thrill I got when I jumped off that train.  I wonder if jumping off the ledge is going to be something like that.  I'm sure that Dauntless initiation wouldn't involve us jumping towards our deaths.

"I'll go," I say, stepping towards Max.  I start to remove my robe.  I have a t-shirt on underneath; wads of gray fabric would just get in the way.

"Ooh, look, a Stiff is taking off his clothes!"  It's Ruby, the rude girl who commented earlier about me being a transfer from Abnegation while I was on the train.

"Bite me!" I retort, glancing back at her.  It would be a Dauntless thing to say.  I don't have to worry about manners and making people feel comfortable now that I've chosen this faction.

"The Stiff seems to have an attitude," Jason says to her.  I hope that they don't continue to be this annoying throughout initiation.

I throw my robe on the gravel and step to the edge of the roof.  Looking down, I can see a hole in the building below me.  The entrance.

_Here goes nothing_ , I think.  I step off the ledge, wondering what I've gotten myself into.

My stomach feels like it's hitting my chest as I sail through the air.  The feeling of weightlessness is exhilarating.  I can't help but shout as I fall into the abyss.

I hit a net.  And laugh.

A second later, hands are reaching out to me from the outside of the net.  I grab a hand, and a boy about a year or two older than I am helps me to the side of the net.

He looks at me as if he can't believe what he's seeing.  "Thanks," I say.

"A Stiff jumped first?" a girl with eyebrow piercings exclaimed.  "What is this world coming to?"

"Obviously there's a reason he transferred, Lauren" the boy says to the girl.  "What's your name?"

I think for a second.  "Daniel" just seems so old-fashioned.  Could I get a new name here?

"You can use whatever name you want."

"Day," I say.  Every day brings new possibilities.  I want to remind myself of that fact.

"All right."  He turns around to fact the crowd of people in the bottom of the room.  "First jumper, Day!"

Everybody cheers at the announcement.  I smile.  I don't know if anybody has ever cheered for me before in my entire life.

I turn around as another body falls into the net.  It's June.  She's really attractive.  Maybe I'll tell her that someday, in case she doesn't already know.  For now, I probably have to focus on passing initiation.  From what I've seen so far, this is nothing like Abnegation's initiation process.  They do a bunch of community service together for thirty days and that's pretty much it.  Dauntless initiation already seems like it's going to be more difficult.

 

After everybody jumps, we follow Lauren and the boy down a dark tunnel.  The ground is sloping downward, and the walls are made out of stone.  I can hardly see because the only light comes from a few dim lamps, which are spread far apart.  We must be underground.

The shadows in front of me stop, and I come to a halt with them.  My eyes are still getting used to the dim surroundings.

"Here is where we split off," the boy says.  "Dauntless-born initiates, you will go with Lauren.  I'm sure you already know your way around this place."  I hear them laughing as they wander down the tunnel..

"I'm Four," he continues, looking at the rest of us..  "Most of the time I work in the control room, but for the next several weeks, I get to work with you people."

Four is a strange name, but then again, I just decided to have everybody call me Day, so I guess there's not much of a difference there.

He turns around and continues down the tunnel, and we follow him.  My eyes gradually are adjusting to the darkness around me.  After a short distance, we arrive at a set of double doors.

He turns back around to face us.  "We're about to enter the Pit.  It's the center of life around here.  You'll grow to love it."

"Why is it called the Pit?" a male voice behind me asks.  It's the same boy that asked whether jumping off the roof would be safe.

"I guess you're going to wait to find out," Four says, opening the doors behind him.

We follow him through the double doors, and it is easy to see why everybody calls it "the Pit."  It is a huge underground cavern.  Paths wind around the walls; cut into the walls are rooms with different shops and things to do.

At the top of the Pit, glass panes are the only source of light for this huge room.  Warm orange sunlight streams down from above.  At night, this place must get fairly dark.  The sides of the walls are lit with the same type of blue lanterns that I saw in the tunnel earlier.  At the bottom of the pit, I see people hanging out in groups; it looks like they're having a good time.

"Follow me," Four says, after we've been looking around in wonder for about a minute, "and I'll show you the chasm."

He turns down a path to the right, and our surroundings darken.  He stops in front of a railing.  I hear the roar of water behind him.

"The chasm reminds us that there's a fine line between bravery and idiocy!" he shouts.  "One jump off this ledge, and it's the end of your life.  People have done it before, and some will probably do it again.  You've been warned."

Although the light is dim, you can just barely see the bottom of the chasm.  The bottom is full of a mist that looks like puffy gray clouds.

"It's amazing," I hear June gasp next to me.  "It must be two hundred feet down, at least."

"It's beautiful," I whisper.

Four leads us farther down the path, into a hole in the wall.  We are in a dining room, which is fairly well-lit, at least compared to the other places that I've been since I jumped into the net.

The dining hall is full of people.  They begin to bang their silverware onto the table.  Several stand and applaud.  I can't help but smile.  I've never seen anything like this before in Abnegation.

Several of us find a few seats together at the far end of the dining hall.  I sit next to June, and across from us, a brown-skinned initiate from Amity and an olive-skinned girl with dark hair and blue eyes from Candor sits.  Four sits down next to the boy from Amity.

In front of me, I see a large circular platter of food that is cut into triangular pieces.  I grab a piece and take a bite.

The food makes my tastebuds jump for joy.  "This is delicious!" I exclaim.

June laughs.  "You've never had pizza before?"

I roll my eyes.  "I'm used to eating foods based on their nutritional quality, not their taste."

"It's a shame to miss out on all the pleasures that food can offer," the boy across from me says.

"Yeah, like they care about pleasure in Abnegation," I snort.

"I’m Oron," the boy says.

"Day," I say.  June gives me an odd look.  I told her that my name was Daniel on the train.  "It's a nickname I picked.  Every day has twenty-four hours of possibilities."

"I like it."  She smiles.  She looks at the two initiates across the table from us.  "I'm June."

"Penny," the girl across from me says.  She is really pretty as well.  Her long black hair almost shines in the light.

"So why did you all decide to transfer?" Oron asks.

I shrug.  "I've known for a long time that I was going to transfer.  I always found it hard to be a good little Abnegation boy that could follow the rules.  How about you?"

Oron looks down at his pizza.  "Amity isn't always as happy as people make it out to be."  His expression looks sad.  Next to him, I see Four frown.

"I wasn't really sure until this morning," June says.  "I was torn between staying with my family or coming here, but now I’m sure I made the right choice."  She looks over at Penny.  "How about you?"

Penny looks down and smiles.  "My aptitude test said Dauntless.  I was a little surprised, actually.  Before yesterday, I wasn't really sure where I belonged."

 

"Transfer initiates!" Four shouts from one end of the dining hall at the end of dinner.  "Follow me."

We get up from our tables and follow him down several hallways.  I hope I don't get lost in this place.  All I've ever known before is Abnegation, with its identical houses and neatly laid out streets.  This place is like a maze.

In addition to being laid out like a maze, all of the hallways are dark.  The only lights are the dim blue lamps.  This place is going to take forever to get used to.

Four stops in front of a wooden door and faces us.  We gather around him.

"During initiation, we'll be meeting in the training room at eight AM every day.  We'll train together from eight until six, and after that, you're free to do whatever you want.  Between each stage of initiation, you'll also get some time off."

Meet cute girls after six PM then.  Although June and Penny are really attractive, and I get to train with them all day.  Lucky me.

"In this room is where you'll be sleeping during initiation."

"Boys or girls?" I ask.

"Both.  This is Dauntless."

I notice June and Penny shift a little uncomfortably next to me, but I’m suppressing a smile.  I hope I didn't hit my head when I jumped from the roof earlier today, because sharing a room with girls like this is a dream, and I don't want to wake up from it.

"During the first stage of initiation, Dauntless-born and transfers will be kept separate, but you will all be ranked together."

"What are we being ranked for?" a girl with dark blonde hair from Candor asks.

"Your rankings will determine what jobs are available to you after initiation.  Not all jobs are equally desirable."

I probably have a lot of work to do if I want to rank well.  Even though I've known that I was going to transfer to Dauntless for years, it's not like I've been able to spend the time training for this day.  Not when we're expected to be quiet and meek in Abnegation, although I generally failed at that.  I did sit-ups and pushups in my room at night, but there wasn't much else that I was able to do to prepare.

"In addition, you can fail Dauntless initiation," he adds.  "It doesn't happen every year, but if you can't prepare yourself adequately for the job that we need you to do, you won't be able to become a full member."

In other words, become factionless.

Four opens the door and we follow him inside.  The beds are all fairly close together, with just enough space for a person to walk between.  June chooses a bed next to Penny, and I claim the bed next to her.  Oron takes the bed next to mine.  We enjoyed each other's company at dinner; I'm glad that we'll be able to be next to each other in the dorms.

We spend the evening getting new Dauntless clothes and ditching our old ones.  When we change, I make it a point to not watch the girls, even though I'd really like to.  I don't want them to think I'm creepy.  Besides, I need to make it through initiation.  This is what I need to concentrate on.  There'll be enough time to focus on cute girls after I'm a full member of Dauntless.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you like it so far. Thanks for reading! Comments are always appreciated.


	6. Work to be the Best

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The initiates spend their first day in Dauntless.

**June**

"This morning, we're going to learn how to shoot a gun," Four announces.  "This afternoon, we're going to start learning how to fight."

We're lined up in front of a row of targets.  As Four passes by, he hands each of us a gun.

I've never held a gun before, but I've seen them in books.  I examine mine, being careful not to point it at anybody.  I've read that you're always supposed to treat a firearm as if it's loaded.

Next to me, Oron is pointing the gun at the target, trying to get the feel of the weight in his hands.  Day is also pointing the gun at the target, looking at it with curiosity.

A boy with brown hair isn't paying much attention to where he is pointing the gun.  "So do we just start shooting?" he asked, waving the gun in my direction.

Four strides over to him in what seems like two steps.

"What's your name?" Four asks, hovering over him.

The boy swallows.  "Matthew."

I have a feeling that Matthew isn't the brightest crayon in the box.  He was the same boy that last night asked whether jumping off the roof into the net would be safe.  As if Dauntless would have any members left if they forced everybody to commit suicide on the first day of initiation.

"Well, Matthew, we're not going to 'just start shooting,' you idiot.  Put it down.  That's a loaded weapon and you will not be pointing it at people.  EVER.  If I see you do that one more time I will take this gun away from you and you will fail today's lesson."  Four's voice was quiet, but his facial expression was hard.

Four can be a little intimidating at times.

"First lesson!" he shouts.  "Never point a loaded weapon at someone that you don't intend on killing.  Always assume that a weapon is loaded," he adds.  "Watch me for a demonstration."

He stood with his feet apart, held the gun with both hands, and fired at a target on the wall.  Bullseye.  He did this two more times, each time hitting the center of the target.

"Now you try.  Make sure that you are careful with where you are pointing the weapon."  He gives a pointed look to Matthew.

I stand like I saw Four standing a few moments ago.  I try to aim carefully, and squeeze the trigger.  My bullet just barely hits the target.  The kick from the gun surprises me, pushing my arms back as it fires.

A blonde-haired girl standing next to Oron shoots at the target and misses entirely.

"Maybe you should try hitting the target, Tasha!" Matthew laughs.

"Shut up, Matthew!" she replies.

Day points his gun and barely hits the target.  As he squeezes the trigger, it looks like he's scared of the gun.

"It's not going to bite you," Oron says quietly to him.

"I'll keep that in mind," he replies dryly.  Day shoots a couple more times and hits closer to the center.

When Oron fires, he gets the closest to the center out of all of us.

"Nice," Day says, smiling.

"Thanks."  Oron grins.

 

We fire round after round until lunchtime.  My ears are ringing and my arms are sore from holding the gun for so long.  With the exception of Penny, we all seem to be able to hit somewhere close to the bullseye most of the time.

I sit down next to Penny in the cafeteria.  Day and Oron are on the opposite side of us from the table.  Four is sitting next to Day.  "You are so unlike anybody I've ever met in Abnegation," I comment.  "I can imagine most people from Abnegation couldn't handle a gun like that."

He shrugs.  "Most people in Abnegation don't transfer to Dauntless, either."

"There was that one boy who transferred last year," Penny says.  "What was his name again?"

"Tobias Eaton," Day replies.  "It was quite a scandal last year.  My brother works for his dad, and after he transferred, my brother said that he was in an angry mood for weeks."

"Did you know him?" Oron asks.

"Not really.  I saw him a couple of times at the mandatory Abnegation meetings.  Skinny kid.  Brown hair."  He dips a French fry into some ranch dressing.  "Once, when I was eight years old, I held this girl's hand.  My mom took me home and gave me a spanking after that.”

“Wait,” Oron said, “Your mom spanked you for _holding a girl’s hand_?”

“Yeah.  It’s not allowed,” he said, as if it’s the most perfectly normal thing in the world to be punished for something like that.

I notice that Four is scowling into his burger.  I don’t know why.  He’s pretty secretive.  It must be part of being an instructor.

 “People dismissed my mistake as me not thinking straight because it was right after my dad died.  That wasn't true though.  I thought, 'no dummy, I held that girl's hand because she was cute and I wanted to touch her!'  I didn't say that, of course.  Anyway, after that people started to realize that I was a naughty little Abnegation boy, and they stopped inviting me places.  So I never really went to many people's houses.  They thought I was a bad influence.  I certainly wouldn't have been good enough to go to the Eaton's house.  His dad is the leader of Abnegation, after all."

I wonder if Four knew Tobias.  Maybe he trained him last year.  I wonder if Tobias passed initiation.  Maybe he's factionless now.

"What about you, Oron?" Penny asks.  "There aren't too many people from Amity that transfer to Dauntless.  Aren't you guys all about playing the guitar and loving everybody and stuff like that?"

Oron gives us a wicked grin.  "Oh, I do play the guitar.  I'm probably one of the best players you'll ever hear."

Day raises an eyebrow.  "We're definitely going to have to hear you play then.  Back up your bragging."

"Be happy to.  Probably after initiation."  His smile drops.  "Anyway, things aren't always sunshine and kumbaya in Amity.  When I was ten I became a fruitarian for a while."

"A fruita-what?" Day asks.

"That's someone who only eats fruit," I say.

"You _would_ know that."  Day throws a French fry at me.

"That only lasted about a week," Oron continues, "but while I was only eating fruit, I noticed that things seemed different.  My brain felt different.  School was easier.  I was also… not quite as happy.  But the happiness that I did feel was real.  I don't know if that makes any sense or not."

"So being a fruitarian altered your mind?" Penny asks.

He shakes his head.  "No, it wasn't the fruit.  After about a week, I started adding different foods and discovered that I was allergic to bread."

"You were experimenting?" Day asks, raising an eyebrow.  "Maybe you should have joined Erudite."

Oron shrugs.  "But I could eat the bread at school and not feel funny.  I ate the pizza last night and didn't have a problem with the crust.  I think it's just _Amity's_ bread that I'm allergic too."

"That's really weird," Day says.

"I know.  Anyway, after I stopped eating bread at home, I started to feel out of place there.  Plus, there's other things that I don't really want to talk about."  He suddenly seems to have developed an interest in stirring a fry into his ketchup.  His expression reflects a bit of anger and sadness.

 

After lunch, we meet in another room with a wooden floor that has several punching bags on one end.  In the middle of the floor, a large circle is painted with white paint.  On the other end of the room is a large chalkboard.  Our names are written on the chalkboard in alphabetical order.

"This afternoon, we're going to learn how to fight," Four says.  "Today I'm going to show you some basic kicks and punches, and tomorrow you're going to apply what you've learned to fight real opponents."

He nods in the direction of the chalkboard.  "On the chalkboard, your names are currently in alphabetical order.  After tomorrow, the order is going to change.  Your ranking is going to depend on how well you fight, as well as your performance with shooting and knife-throwing."

After Four shows us different moves that we'll be able to use tomorrow, we start practicing on the punching bags.  He walks around the room, giving us pointers.

It doesn't seem that hard, although it takes me a few tries to aim the kicks in the right places on the bag.  Soon, I'm able to replicate my kicks and punches so they are able to hit where I want them to go.

I'm so focused on what I'm doing that I don't realize that he's watching me until he speaks to me.  "You're very precise," he says.  "Make sure that you use that tomorrow and take advantage of where your opponent isn't guarding him or herself."  I nod, and continue to hit the bag.

By the time we are dismissed, my hands sting and the tops of my feet hurt.

 

"Anybody want to go for a run this evening?" I ask my friends after we finish eating dinner.

"Are you kidding?" Oron asks.  "Haven't we had enough punishment already today?  I think I’m going to go get a tattoo."

"No thanks," Penny adds.  "I'll go watch Oron."

"I'll go," Day says.  "I could use the extra workout."

We find our way out of the building.  The main Dauntless entrance is different than the one we took yesterday.  It's hard to believe that it was just yesterday that we jumped off the roof into the net; it seems like it was much longer than that.

"I’m not much of a runner, yet," I tell Day as we start jogging.  "Erudite encourages sitting around and reading over physical activity."

"I could say the same thing about Abnegation.  Well, except for the reading part.  We're all about helping people.  Taking time for yourself and going for a run is more of a selfish thing, I guess they'd say."

The sun is still low in the sky as we jog along the streets.  The roads are crumbling and full of potholes, and I have to make sure that I don't trip over the uneven seams in the sidewalk.  It's a lot different than in Erudite, where the streets have been recently paved.

"So," I ask.  "Are you really out running because you could stand to work out more?"

"We're all going to be ranked," he replies.  "I don't want to be at the bottom.  Even though I've known I was going to transfer to Dauntless for quite a while now, I wasn't able to prepare as much as I would have liked to before coming here.  One of the limitations of being in Abnegation."  He looks over at me.  "What about you?  Did you always know you were going to transfer?"

I laugh.  "I wasn't exactly sure which faction I was going to choose until the middle of the Choosing Ceremony."

"Really?  That must have been stressful."

I'm already starting to slow down now.  I don't know if this is starting to get difficult for Day or not, but he's staying next to me as we run.  "Well, I _was_ a little relieved once I made my decision.  I figured that staying because my family was in Erudite was not a good reason, you know?"

"Yeah."

"I’m really sorry that I’m already slowing down," I say.  "I'm not used to running."

"Don't be sorry.  That's why we're out here.  So we'll get better.  So we can be the best." He grins at me.

"Have you always been competitive?"

"I've always _wanted_ to be competitive," he replies.  "I've always been pretty good at most things I try though.  Competitiveness is not a trait that is encouraged in my old faction.  Put other people first, you know?"

"That wasn't really a problem in Erudite.  They always want people to be smart, at least.  I've usually been pretty good at the things I've tried though.  I've usually been the smartest, even in Erudite.  Well, sometimes it's been difficult for me to make friends though.  Some people think I’m strange."

He gives me a serious look.  "You're not strange."

"You don't know me that well yet."

"Not yet," he replies.  "But I'd like to get to know you better."

I don't look at him, because I don't want him to see my face turn red.

When we get back to the dorms, I'm covered in sweat.  Everybody else is gone; they're probably off getting tattoos or something.

Day takes his shirt off and tosses it onto the bed.  I can't help but admiring the muscles that he's already developed.

"Have you been training for a while?"  I immediately regret saying that.  I don't want to give him the wrong impression.

"Just doing some exercises in my room.  My brother John didn't really approve, but I think he knew that I wasn't going to stay in Abnegation.  I know my mom knew."

I nod.  Oh my, Day is taking off his pants.  I look away.

"Don't worry," he laughs.  "I'm not going to take off my underwear.  I just don't want to wear sweaty clothes."

"Well, I don't want you watching _me_ ," I say.

"Fine."  He rolls his eyes and turns around, looking through his drawers for clothes to put on.

When I’m sure that he's not going to turn around and look at me, I change my shirt and pants.  _You would think that I was the one that transferred from Abnegation_.  As soon as I have clean clothes on, I let Day know that he can turn around.

"I think I’m going to dye my hair," he says.

"What color?"

"You choose," he says.  "Blue or green?"

"Blue."

"Blue it is then.  I'm sure the color will work really well with my light hair."  He brushes some of my hair behind my back.  "With your dark hair, it might be difficult to dye it," he says.  "You probably wouldn't want to ruin the texture by stripping it of color first.  It's nice the way it is."

"What do you think I should do to be more Dauntless?" I ask.

"What do you want to do?"

"Maybe I should get a piercing."  I watch him look at me for a second.  "Somewhere that people can _see_ ," I add.  I’m not interested in getting a nipple piercing or anything like that.  "How about my nose?"

"I could see you getting a pretty diamond right here."  He taps the side of my nose.  "Not the septum though."

"Okay, let's go then," I say.  "We'll get your hair dyed blue, my nose pierced, and then we'll go find the others."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you liked this chapter. Comments are always appreciated. Thanks for reading!


	7. Fight Club

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> First day of fighting for initiates. Everybody goes to the dance club that evening.

**Day**

"Today you'll see who you're pairing up against on the chalkboard over there," Four says as we enter the training room.  I look to see who I'm fighting against.  Oron.

Yesterday he showed me the tattoo that he got.  It was the profile of a wolf, fangs bared, over the right side of his chest.  The white ink used to highlight its fur made it pop against his dark skin.

"Wolves are beautiful, but deadly, creatures," he told me.  There was something strange about how he showed me the tattoo though.  He carefully lifted up the front of his shirt to show me.  It almost seemed as if he was hiding his back.

I run my hands over my blue hair.  I can't see it, but I know it's blue.  I saw it in the mirror last night, and it looks good.  It's a bright color that almost looks fake, but it suits me.

Several of the other initiates came back to the dorms last night looking different as well.  Josiah, an Erudite transfer with black hair who's built like a truck, came back with eyebrow piercings.  Emily, his girlfriend, had a butterfly tattooed on her arm.  We all seem to be trying to assimilate to the Dauntless culture in our own ways.

"First up!  Penny and Tasha!" Four announces.  Penny looks like she's about to throw up.  Tasha is six inches taller than her, and more muscular, although Penny is probably faster.

"You can do it!" I say, patting my friend on her shoulder.  Oron and June are offering similar words of encouragement.

Penny steps in to the ring, and puts her fists in front of her face, like we were taught to yesterday.  Tasha stands in front of her, giving her a menacing grin.  Penny tries to put on a brave face, but I can tell that she's afraid.

Tasha steps forward, extending her arm in a punch.  Penny blocks it with her arm.  Penny tries to kick, but only hits her opponent with the side of her leg.  She's distracted, and Tasha uses it as an opportunity to punch again.  Penny is pushed back two steps.

Penny surges forward, hoping to punch, but Tasha steps aside.  Tasha kicks and makes contact with the back of Penny's legs, knocking her to the ground.

Tasha pins my friend down.  Penny tries to wriggle out of her grip, but it's no use.  Four announces the match ended.

Next up!  Day and Oron!

I don't want to hurt my new friend, but at the same time, I know I need to fight, and I want to do my best.

I protect my face with my fists, as does my friend.  I step in and aim a punch to his stomach.  Oron blocks it.  He kicks me in the abdomen.  It hurts a little, but I can handle it.

I jab at his face while he's distracted with the kick and make contact.  It knocks him back for a second, but he quickly recovers.

We seem to be evenly matched.  We block most of each other's blows, although the occasional punch or kick goes through.  Oron and I fight for several minutes this way.

He's starting to tire, but I am as well.  Only one of us can win though.

Oron swings at my face, and I duck, dodging his blow.  At the same time, I strike his stomach and push him down to the ground.  As soon as I see him down, I pounce on him, keeping him pinned to the floor.  Four announces me the winner.

After I release my friend, I reach out my hand to help him get back up.

"Sorry about that," I say.

"No hard feelings," he replies, slapping me on the back.

Josiah beats Matthew in the next round without much trouble.  In the round after that, Andrew and Justin seem evenly matched, but Justin ends up winning.

June and Emily are the last pair to fight today.

Emily looks nervous, while June has a determined, fierce look in her eyes.

June punches, hitting Emily in the shoulder, and Emily reels back.  Emily swings, hitting June in the stomach, but her punch is not very strong, and it barely impacts June.

June swings again, and even though Emily blocks it with her fists, it still knocks her back.  In a little over a minute, Emily is pushed out of the ring, and Four declares June the winner.

Since everybody has fought, training ends early.

"Come on," Oron says, grabbing my shoulder.  "We should go to the club tonight.  I know you need some new clothes."

I look down at my outfit.  "What's wrong with what I have?"

He shakes his head with disdain.  "No.  Just no.  It's fine for hanging out around here, but if you're going to go to the club, you're going to have to look good."

"And who said I wanted to go dancing?"  I cross my arms in front of each other.

"You didn't.  But you're going anyway.  We need to meet some cute girls."

I smile.  "Okay, you got me.  You had me at 'cute girls'."  I wave to June and Penny.  They seem to be wandering off to go someplace as well.

 

Oron takes me to a men's clothing store.  I've never been shopping before in my life.  In Abnegation, we always got clothes every six months.  They were always the same style to everybody else in the faction: shapeless and gray.  At this shop, there are all kinds of clothes.

Oron looks at a mesh shirt with holes purposely torn into it.  He looks at me and makes a face.  "Somehow, I don't think this is you," he says, laughing.

I shake my head.

"I think you'll look better in something a little more classic."  He hands me a black collared shirt.  "What about this?"

I nod.  "It's nice."

He hands me some denim pants.  "Try it with these."

"Where'd you get so knowledgeable about clothes?" I ask, grabbing the pants.

Oron shrugs.  "We're always encouraged to be artsy in Amity.  I had my guitar, and I always liked looking good too."  He rolls his eyes.  "Red and yellow weren't really my colors though."

I try on the clothes in a changing room and come out to show my friend.  They fit perfectly, but he frowns.

"Day, your Abnegation is showing."

"What's wrong?"

"Unbutton the top couple of buttons.  You look like a Stiff trying to play Dauntless."

I unbutton the top two buttons of my shirt.  "There.  That better?"

"Yes.  The girls are going to love you."

I grin at that.

We pick out a pair of black boots to complete the outfit, and Oron picks out a new outfit for himself.  After that, we head down to the cafeteria together for dinner.

The girls aren't there, so we sit across the table from Josiah and Emily.  They're sitting next to each other, holding hands.

"Nice fight today," I say to Josiah as I sit down.

He grins at me.  "Thanks!  You both fought well too."

Oron shrugs.  "I lost."

"We can't win them all," Josiah replies.  "You both fought hard though.  That's what matters."

I take some chicken nuggets, peas, and mashed potatoes from the bowls in front of me.  "Matthew didn't seem to put up much of a fight," I comment.

Josiah makes a face.  "I don't really like him all that much."

I laugh.  "I'm not sure if anybody does."

"Tasha seems to like him," Emily remarks.  She smiles at Josiah and feeds him a chicken nugget.  Part of me wants to hurl.

"It takes all kinds of people," Oron remarks.  He doesn't seem to be bothered by our table partner's open displays of affection.

They continue like that for the rest of the meal.

After dinner, we head to the dorms to change.

As we walk, Oron puts his hand on my shoulder.  "You seemed to be a little uncomfortable at dinner today."

I sigh.  "Josiah and Emily are nice, but I'm not used to seeing people show affection to each other like that.  We didn’t do things like that in Abnegation."

He grins at me.  "You'll get used to it.  Probably sooner rather than later."

 

At the club, Oron and I order beers.

I've never had anything to drink before.  I taste it and make a face.  I don't really like the flavor.  It burns a little going down my throat.

"It's not really supposed to taste good," Oron says in my ear.  I can barely hear him above the music in the club.  "It's just supposed to make you feel a little buzzed."

"Oh, okay."  I'm not sure why I need to get a little drunk, but I guess that's what people do when they go to clubs.

"Now we need to meet girls," he says to me.  "Don't worry about me, just go talk to somebody you think is cute."

I look around the club and see a girl with pink hair.  She's kinda pretty.  Plus, she's sitting by herself, looking at her nails.  I decide to walk towards her.

"Hi," I say, putting my hands in my pockets.  "I'm Day."

She looks and smiles at me.  "Marlene.  Nice to meet you."

"Would you like to dance?"  My palms feel a little sweaty.

"Sure."

I'm not sure exactly _how_ to dance.  I try to follow Marlene's movements, but I feel awkward.

She giggles.  "Don't tell me, you're the Stiff that transferred this week."

"Former Stiff.  I have to learn how to dance sometime."  I feel like I need to be defensive about who I am.

"Don't sweat it.  I’m just teasing you."  She grins at me.  "Dauntless is a great faction.  You'll like it here."

"I am so far."

"Next year is my Choosing Ceremony," she says.  "I already know that I’m going to stay here though."

"Funny.  I knew that I was going to transfer for a long time before my Choosing Ceremony too."

I look over Marlene's shoulder.  I see June with Penny.  They're smiling and talking to a couple of boys.  June is wearing a clingy dress, and she looks gorgeous.  I'm glad that they decided to come tonight too, and I'm glad they seem to be having a good time.

The music switches to a slower song, and Marlene smiles.  "So, do you know what to do for slower songs?"

"I think so." I put my arms around Marlene's neck.  I leave some space between us.  I just met this girl; it's probably not a good idea to get too close.  She might not like it.

She rolls her eyes.  "Okay, Abnegation boy, I'll let you dance like this for now," she teases.  "I guess it's amazing that I got you to dance at all."

I laugh.  Marlene seems like a nice girl.

We dance to the song for a few minutes, until I notice June at the other end of the room.  She seems upset.  She's trying to push the boy she's dancing with away, but he's being very touchy, and doesn't seem to want to let her go.

"Excuse me, Marlene," I say.  "It was nice meeting you; I'm sorry, I have to go."

She looks a little surprised, but I don't dwell on her reaction.  I think I cross the floor in only three steps.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you think I may have snuck in a character from another fandom, you're probably correct ;-). Maybe two people from another fandom.
> 
> I'm currently working on another project that I hope to finish the first draft of this month. I should be able to get this next one published, at least, before NaNoWriMo. I should be able to finish publishing this one too.
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	8. Nobody Owns Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day tells Eric to buzz off at the club. A few days later, the Dauntless initiates play a game of capture the flag.

**June**

"Just because I joined Dauntless doesn't mean that I give consent to any random boy to grab me," I tell Eric, trying to push him away.

Eric seemed nice enough when I talked to him a few minutes ago.  Now that this slow song has started, he doesn't seem to want to stop touching me in places I'd rather not have him touch.

"What are you, some Stiff?  Won't let any boy touch you?" Eric asks, running his hand over my breast.

"Obviously she doesn't want to be with you!" a voice from behind me shouts.  Day.  "Let go of her."

I look over my shoulder at my friend.  "I'd let _him_ touch me."

Eric laughs.  His facial piercings seem to stretch with the movement.  It's disgusting.  He's disgusting.  "What, the Stiff?  I don't know what kind of delusion you're under, but I know Stiffs, and they don't touch girls."

"Former Stiff," Day says.  He runs his eyes over my body.  "And I'd _definitely_ touch her."

Eric shoves me towards Day.  "Fine.  You can have this frigid bitch."

He grabs me gently by the elbow.  "First, she's not a possession for anyone to have."  His eyes flash with anger.  "Second, she's not a bitch, she's my friend.  Third, I highly doubt that she's frigid."

"Whatever." Eric waves his hand at us as he walks away.  I feel myself relaxing immediately.

"Thank you," I say, facing Day.

He wraps his arms around my waist.  "I’m so sorry," he says.

"For what?"  I put my arms around his neck and pull him closer.  "You didn't do anything."

"I’m sorry you had to deal with that creep."

I make a face.  "That's Eric.  He's disgusting.  It was stupid of me to dance with him.  I remember him from when he was in Erudite.  He was kind of an ass then, and he still is.  Evidently, they're thinking about making him one of Dauntless's leaders."

"Or so he says."  His mouth twists like he bit into something sour.

I don't want to think of him being a Dauntless leader.  Hopefully that won't happen.

I rest my head on Day's shoulder.  He has to be about as unlike Eric as they come.  He runs his hand along my hair.

"You look amazing tonight," he says into my ear.

"Penny took me to go buy this dress."  My cheeks feel a little warm.  I'm not used to dressing up in clothes that make people notice me.  "She said that all my clothes were way too practical, and I needed to get something a little more attractive."  I sigh.  "Maybe that wasn't such a good idea.  It certainly got Eric's attention."

"It doesn't matter what you were wearing," he says.  "He shouldn't have touched you like that."

"You look nice this evening too."  I look up at him.

"Oron made me go get it.  He knows his clothes, at least a lot better than someone like me that grew up in Abnegation."

A hand clasps my shoulder.  "I've been looking for you two."  Oron.  Penny is standing next to him.  "It's getting late, and we still have training tomorrow.  I'm gonna take off."

Day lets go of me.  "I guess I better be going too.  Did you want to stay here?"

I shake my head.  "No, I'd rather go back with you guys.  I don't think Eric is interested in bothering me again tonight, but I'd rather not stay and find out."

 

We spend the next few days fighting and training some more.  In the evenings I usually train some more with Day; sometimes we go for a run, other times we use the punching bags to practice hitting and kicking.  We always ask Penny and Oron if they want to come along, but they think that we're crazy.

My muscles are sore when I wake up in the morning and when I go to bed at night.  I'm covered in bruises.  My body is being rewarded, however, because it's becoming stronger.  The muscles in my arms are becoming more defined.  My reflexes are becoming sharper.  It feels good.

I lay my head down on my pillow, welcoming the rest.  _So tired_.

The door to the dormitory opens, illuminating the room with a dim light.  Several people stream in.  "Get up!" someone shouts.

I groan.  Part of me hopes that these intruders will go away, but I know that they won't.  Slowly, I sit up.

Four is standing in the doorway with Lauren.  They're both holding flashlights.

"We're going on a field trip," Lauren announces.  "You have five minutes to get dressed and get to the train tracks.  Move!"

A couple of days ago, we went on a field trip to the fence.  A few Dauntless were wandering around, while we were there, looking bored.  I think that they were trying to motivate us to work hard during initiation.  Working on the fence doesn't sound like very much fun at all. 

Fortunately, I seem to be doing okay, so far, so I'll be able to choose the job I want.  I think the extra training is helping.

I sleep in my sweats, so all I have to do is throw on a pair of shoes.  Next to me, Day throws on a shirt.  Oron is already putting on his shoes.

When we get to the train tracks, the Dauntless-born initiates are waiting.  Outside of lunch, I haven't seen them since the first day.

A pile of black guns is sitting next to the tracks, next to a few wooden crates.  The crates have "Paintballs" written on the side.  I smile.  This sounds like fun.

"Take a gun!" Lauren announces.  I grab one from the top of the pile, and sling it across my back.  Out of the corner of my eye, I see Penny grab a gun as well.

Off in the distance, I hear the train.  I prepare to run and jump on it.  I've only done this twice now, and both times it was difficult.  I wonder when it will get easier.

As the train approaches, I run.  It's easier to keep up with it now than it was on Choosing Day.  I reach my hand up and pull myself onto the train.  Day is right behind me.

I sit down in the car and put my gun in my lap.  My friends sit next to me.

Four addresses us after everybody gets in the car.  "We're going to play a game of capture the flag!" he shouts.  "Lauren and I are going to divide you into teams.  First we'll divide the transfers, and then the Dauntless-borns."

"You can pick first, Four," Lauren says.

"No, you can go first," he replies.  "My team won last year, remember?"  He grins.

"Sure," she shrugs.  "Josiah."

Josiah is a pretty big guy.  No wonder he was picked first.

"Day."

"June."  Well, there goes my hopes of being on the same team as him.

"Oron."  Now I hope Lauren will pick Penny.  At least then I can have one good friend on my team.

"Matthew."  Ugh.  He's an idiot.

"Tasha."

"Penny."  Good.  I'm sure we can work pretty well together.

Four and Lauren call the remainder of the transfers and the Dauntless born initiates.  In addition to Emily, I'm on a team with Dauntless-born boys named Ziad, Greg, and Craig, and two Dauntless-born girls named Ruby and Julie.  Four's team jumps off the train first, and we continue on for another minute and jump off later.

We land in a place with a grove of trees.  I spot a small building nearby.

"We should hide the flag up in the trees," Ruby suggested, her strawberry-blonde curls bouncing.  She was the girl that was giving Day a hard time on Choosing Day.

"Don't be silly."  Ziad rolls his eyes.  "They would be able to see that for miles."

"Why not behind that building?" I suggest, pointing.  "Five of us can stay and guard the flag here, and the rest of us can go try to find their flag."

"Who died and made you the leader?"  Matthew's mouth twists in a sneer.

"If you have any other suggestions, I'd be happy to hear them." I put my hands on my hips.

Nobody else says anything to that.

We decide that Penny, Ruby, Ziad, Josiah, and I would look for Four's team, while everybody else would remain behind.

We are quiet as we walk through the swamp, trying to see if we can spot anybody from the other team.  In the distance, I see a dim shadow of a giant Ferris wheel.  I don't think that thing worked even in my grandparent's lifetime, but I've seen it before.  I point to the giant structure, indicating that I think that it might be there.  The others nod, and we head in that direction.

"Look!" Ruby whispers as we approach.  Then the rest of us see it: their yellow flag, illuminated with glow sticks.  It's hiding at the bottom of the Ferris wheel.

Day is standing in front of it, scanning the horizon with a sweeping motion of his head.

"He's fast," I warn my teammates.  "We won't be able to outrun him if we wanted to."

Penny slyly smiles.  "I have an idea."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's taking so long... I have several projects I'm working on and I think I have writing ADD, LOL. I keep getting distracted with other things. But that means I'm also getting closer to finishing the other projects, which will eventually end up here.


	9. Paintball Guns and Knives

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The end of the paintball game. Knife lessons, and Day and June go for a run and get caught in the rain.

**Day**

Jason and I were assigned to guard the flag.

He's one of the Dauntless-born initiates.  Dark hair.  Almost black eyes.  He blends into the night a lot better than I do.  My bright blue hair almost glows in the moonlight.  I guess it's a good thing that I'm guarding the flag, since that also glows in the dark.

Jason wanted to talk at first, but I tried to discourage him.  I want to win.  If our team is going to win, I can't talk and get distracted, or make enough noise that the other team will hear us.

My paintball gun is at my side, but I’m ready to lift it up and aim if I hear or see anything.

I hear something a little ways away.  I lift up my rifle, making a sweeping motion of the horizon.  Then I see a faint movement.  As I focus my eyes on the movement, I realize that it's June.

Friend or not, she's going down.  I pull the trigger and shoot.  I hit her right on the chest.  A kill shot.

Even though I already hit her, she lifts her rifle up and shoots at me.  She hits me on the left side of my chest.  The impact stings, and causes a splotch of red paint to show up on my shirt.

"That one didn't count!" I protest, looking at my shirt.  "I got you first.  You wouldn't have been able to shoot me if you were already dead."

She smirks at me.  "Well, it looks like I got you anyway."  Her rifle is down as she slowly approaches me.

"Well, I'm going to pretend that your shot didn't happen anyway," I say to her as I watch her approach.  The moonlight is reflecting off of her dark hair.

She laughs.  "Fine, I guess.  We'll pretend you didn't get shot."

She stops right in front of me, puts her hands on her hips, and grins.

"It doesn't matter anyway, Day, because you were paying so much attention to me that you didn't realize that Penny just grabbed your flag."

I turn around to see Penny waving the flag, beaming.

"You little sneak!" I exclaim, looking back at June.

June puts her hands in her pockets.  "It was Penny's idea."

 

My clothes are covered with paint as we get back into the dorms.  I sit on the side of my bed and pull off my shirt, throwing it in a mesh bag with my other dirty clothes.  I notice June watching me.  I wonder what those dark, gold-flecked eyes of hers are thinking.

"I’m sorry for cheating," she says quietly.

"I don't know if that's considered cheating," I say.  "I shouldn't have let you distract me."

I rummage through my drawer of clean clothes and find some shorts to put on to wear to bed.  When I look up, June has taken off her paint-splattered shirt.  I blush and try to look away from her taut stomach and black bra.  Even though we usually change our clothes after we run, I’ve never seen her without her shirt off.  She usually tells me to look away.  She covers herself up with a clean shirt before it becomes too obvious that I was looking at her.  I hope I wasn't obvious, at least.

On the bunk behind June, Penny smirks at me.  "We better get some sleep," she says.  "The paintball game took up half the night and we still have to be in the training room tomorrow morning."

"Always practical," I say, rolling my eyes at her.  Penny's right though.  I can already feel the adrenaline that was present during the game begin to wear off, and I yawn.

I glance at Oron as I prepare to get into bed.  He is quickly trying to change his shirt.  I’ve never seen him without a shirt off either.  Before he replaces his dirty shirt, I see it.  His back is a mess of scars, almost like his skin was mangled at some point.  He obviously doesn’t want anybody to see it.

“Oron,” I whisper to him.  “What happened to your back?”

He frowns.  “I had an accident with the farming equipment.”

“Farming equipment my ass,” I say, raising my eyebrows.

He looks worried.  “Don’t say anything please.”

“I won’t.  It isn’t my story to tell.”  I worry about my friend though.  What could have happened to him before he came here?

I crawl under my covers and let my exhaustion take me.  "Good night," I sigh.  I close my eyes and let sleep take me.

 

"We're going to learn how to throw knives today," Four announces after we've all gathered in the training room the next morning.

I grin.  This sounds like it's going to be a lot of fun.  Beside me, I can tell that Oron is equally excited.

"Perhaps we need to have you skip this lesson today," Matthew says to Josiah.  "You might hurt someone."

"Very funny," Josiah quips, making a face at Matthew.  I hadn't noticed before, but I don't think those two like each other very much.

I pick up one of my knives and start to get the feel for it while Four continues, ignoring Josiah and Matthew.  "Watch me for a demonstration."

Four holds the knife in his hand, moving it back and forth as if taking practice throws.  He draws it back, throwing it will full force, and hits the bullseye.

"Your turn to try," he says, facing us.

I've never thrown a knife before.  I wonder what my mom would think of this.  Knives are for cooking, she'd probably say.  I don't care.  Throwing them sounds like fun.

I hold my knife like I saw Four do, trying to get the balance of the knife right.  I’m not exactly sure what the right balance is.  After a few motions back and forth, I throw the knife.

And hit the target.

It just barely hits the target, skirting the edge, but this is only my first try.  I smile to myself.  Next to me, June has thrown her knife; it almost hits the target, but instead hits the wall next to it, and clatters to the floor.

Oron almost hits the center of the target.

"Nice throw," I say to my friend.

"Impressive," Four notes.  "Maybe we'll have you teach the knife lesson next year."

Oron beams.  "I've always been good with my hands."

I throw a few more times, and get closer to the center.  Oron hits a bullseye.

"Wow!  Good job."

"That's enough!" I hear from the far end of the room, where Josiah, Emily, and Matthew were throwing knives.  Josiah and Matthew are struggling with each other, and the next thing I know, Matthew has a knife at Josiah's throat.

"Put down the knives!" Four says as he strides over to their side of the room.  He is not happy.

I don't know if he means them, or everybody, so I set my knives down as well.

"You need to leave," Four says to Matthew quietly.  "We don't need unstable people in Dauntless.  I'm failing you for this morning's lesson.  If I fail you again, you're out of Dauntless."

Meaning that he'd be factionless.

Four can be intimidating, but he seems to be generally fair.  It wasn't very smart of them to have a knife fight in the middle of class.

Matthew makes a face at Four and leaves the room.

"The rest of you can continue practicing," Four says.

By the end of the morning, I can throw the knife reliably well.  I even hit a couple of bullseyes.  Oron is a natural at this though.  June and Penny improve over the morning also.  June can throw almost as well as I can.

 

"What do you think happened during knife throwing?" Oron asks at lunch, nodding over in Josiah's direction.  He's sitting next to Emily; they're staring into each other's eyes.

"I think Matthew likes Emily," Penny surmises.  "Of course, Josiah doesn't really like that."

"Makes sense."  June twirls her spaghetti onto her fork.

"They're pretty close," Penny says.  "Did you guys have girlfriends or boyfriends before you joined Dauntless?"

I shake my head.  "I was in Abnegation.  If I even looked at a girl I would get in trouble.  So no."

June tilts her head towards me.  "You didn't think any girls at school were cute?"

I smile at her.  "I didn't say _that_.  I just couldn't have a girlfriend.  So I kept my feelings on girls' appearances to myself."

"Fair enough."  I don't remember seeing June in school, although if I had run into her, I definitely would have put her into the cute category.

"There was one girl that I liked," Oron said.  "She had dark hair and had a fiery personality.  She was a couple of years younger than I was.  We never did anything together, but we sometimes flirted with each other in the lunchroom.  She only had one eye; she lost it when she fell off a horse when she was about six."  His elbow was on the table and he leaned on his hand.  "Sometimes I hope that she'll transfer to Dauntless too."

"What about you, June?" I ask.

"I went out with a couple of boys in Erudite, but nothing really serious," she replies.  "What's the point in getting interested in someone in high school anyway, if you're not even sure that you're going to end up choosing the same faction?"

"That's true," I say.  "I'm not sure Emily was really cut out for Dauntless, but she came here anyway."

 

After dinner, June and I decide to go for a run.  The clouds look ominous, but I don't care.  I've started to look forward to our evenings together.

"Are you looking forward to Visiting Day tomorrow?" I ask after we had been running for a while.

"Yeah.  I know they say that sometimes your family won't show up, but I think that mine will, you know?"

"I think mine will be there too."  It's strange, because although we spend our evenings training together, we never talk much about our families.  "What's your family like?"

"I have an older brother," she says.  "Metias.  He's twenty-eight.  It's a pretty big age gap; he's always looked out for me though.  He chose to stay in Erudite.  He's a computer hacker."

"I have two brothers," I say.  "My older brother, John, decided to stay in Abnegation.  He's nineteen.  My younger brother Eden is ten; he's really smart.  I don't know if he'll stay in Abnegation or transfer to Erudite."

"So does John still live with your mom?"

She must have remembered that I mentioned that my dad had died before.

"Yeah.  He has a girlfriend.  Well, whatever counts as a girlfriend in Abnegation.  If the get married, they'll probably move in with Mom.  Especially if Eden transfers."

We run in silence for a while.  Eventually, little raindrops start to fall.

I look up into the sky.  The clouds have darkened considerably from when we left Dauntless.

"We should turn around," June suggests.  I nod, and we slow down and start heading back.

As we run, the rain increases, until it is pouring.  The water saturates my hair, my clothes, and even the insides of my shoes.  I don't know if I've seen it rain this hard in years.  After we enter the Dauntless compound, I'm dripping on the stone floor, leaving wet footprints behind.  My shoes squish with every step.

When we reach the dorms, nobody is inside.  I don't even want to sit on the bed, I'm so wet.  I pull out dry clothes and a towel from my drawer and set them on my bed.  I strip off my shirt and throw it in the bag with my other dirty clothes.

I lay my towel out on my bed.  The only way for me to get dry is to take off everything.  I’m not so sure about doing that in front of June.

I'm sure that I’m blushing as I realize this.  June must be thinking the same thing, as she looks fairly uncomfortable.

"Well, this isn't awkward," I comment.  I know that I shouldn't really be nervous around June, but for some reason I am.

She looks away, as do I, and I quickly pull off the rest of my clothes, dry off with the towel, and put on the dry clothes.

I can't help myself though.  I've never seen a naked girl before.  Even though the dorms are shared with both girls and boys, I don't ever look.  I dare to look up at June for a fraction of a second.

She's looking too.  I quickly avert my eyes, hoping that she didn't notice my glance.  I know that she did see me look at her though, and I know that she was looking at me as well.

Even though I only saw her for a fraction of a second, I liked what I saw.  I can feel my heartbeat pounding a little bit faster, partly because she caught me.  She wouldn't have seen me looking at her if she hadn't been looking at me, I tell myself.

After I’m done changing, I look down at my bare feet.  I don't want to risk looking up again while June is still changing.  I notice that my feet appear soggy and wrinkled.

"I'm done," June says.  I look up at her.  Neither of us are willing to acknowledge what just happened.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you like this chapter. Comments are always appreciated!


	10. The End of My World

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Visiting Day.

**June**

After we dry off, Day and I find our friends.  They're at the tattoo shop.  Penny is getting a tattoo of an eagle on her arm.

Watching her is a good distraction from what happened earlier in our dorm room.

I probably shouldn't have looked at Day.  I was curious though.  Even though I transferred to Dauntless, there's still an Erudite part of me that wants to find out things.  I wanted to see Day naked.

I wasn't expecting him to be looking back.

Penny seems to be tolerating the pain well.

"So, when are you going to get tattoos?" Oron asks us.

I shrug.  "I'm still thinking about it."

"I don't know what I want to get yet either," Day says.  "It's so -- permanent, you know?  I want to make sure that I know exactly what I want before I jump in."

Oron elbows Day.  "That's part of being what Dauntless is about, silly.  Jumping into decisions without overly-thinking them."

Day rolls his eyes at him.

Penny's eagle is almost done.

"What did you guys want to do this evening?" I ask.  "Other than finish this tattoo, of course.  I don't want to do anything too late, with Visiting Day tomorrow and everything."

Oron sighs.  For some reason, I don’t think the idea of Visiting Day appeals to him.  I don't know why.  Maybe he knows that his parents won't come.

"Maybe we should just go get a drink," Day suggested.  "That won't take very long, unless we want it to."

"Okay," Oron says.  "I think I could probably use one this evening."

 

Visiting Day.  My heart feels light when I wake up today.  I can't wait to see my parents and Metias.

Oron is still hanging out in bed when everybody else has already gotten up and gotten dressed.

"Are you coming?" I ask.  I hope he's not sick.

He shakes his head.  "I don't feel like doing Visiting Day.  Not interested."

"What's wrong?"

Day shoots me a warning glance.  He doesn't look surprised that Oron doesn't want to see his family.  He must know something I don't.

"Day, would you like to hang out with me today?" I ask.

"Sounds like fun."  He turns towards me and smiles.

Penny smirks.  "So now we're meeting the parents?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" I ask.

She rolls her eyes.

"We could all go together," I suggest.

"No," she shakes her head.  "I don't think so."

When we get to the pit, there are already crowds of people waiting.  I look around for my parents and Metias.  It seems nearly impossible to find anybody.

Day grabs my elbow.  "I see my mom," he says, pulling me along with him.

I recognize his family immediately, because their white-blonde hair certainly sticks out in the crowd.  His mom smiles when she spots him.

"Daniel!" she says, giving him a hug.  I almost forgot that when I met him on the train, that was how he introduced himself.

After he hugs his mom, he also embraces a young man who looks to be about twenty and a boy who is about ten.  John and Eden.  Day turns to look at me.

"This is my friend June," he says.  "Her family should be here too."  He turns to me.  "This is John and Eden."

Day's mom nods at me, in typical Abnegation fashion.  "It's nice to meet you, June."

"Nice to meet you, too."

I overhear his mom whispering "she's cute" to Day.  He nods absentmindedly.  I'm sure that I'm blushing at this point.

"You have blue hair!" Eden exclaims.  "Do you have any tattoos?"

Day shakes his head.  "I haven't gotten a tattoo yet," he says.  "I still haven't figured out what I want."  He looks at his younger brother.  "What have you been up to?"

"I built a rain-water collector and dispenser for the factionless!" Eden exclaims.

"Did you invent it yourself?" I ask.

"Yep!"  Eden turns to look at me.  "I love to build things."

No wonder Day thinks that his brother might join Erudite.

I continue to scan the room for my parents while we talk to his family.  They are still nowhere to be found.

"We're not supposed to show a lot of attachment to our family members today," Day tells his parents sadly.  Four  -- he's our instructor -- warned us this morning that Dauntless takes the motto of 'faction before blood' very seriously.  "I'll try to visit you all sometime after initiation."

As he embraces his family, I spot my brother.  He doesn't look happy.

"Metias is over there," I say to Day, tilting my head in my brother's direction.  He waves a final goodbye to his family and we walk over to Metias.

I give him a hug.  Metias barely returns my embrace.  "It's so good to see you," I say.  I look around, and my enthusiasm wanes.  My parents are nowhere to be found.  "Where are Mom and Dad?"

Metias shakes his head.  "They --"

"What's wrong?"  I start to feel tightness in my chest.  Something must have happened.  Otherwise they would be here.  They're not the kind of people that would spitefully choose not to see their daughter just because she transferred to another faction.

He bites his lower lip.  There's something he wants to say to me, but he doesn't know how to say it.  "There was an accident."

I feel like a stone landed in the pit of my stomach.  "Are they in the hospital?"

He looks down.  "No.  They didn't make it."

Suddenly, I feel dizzy.  I can't look at him.  I have to sit down.  _What does he mean, they didn't make it?_

"I'm so sorry.  I wish I didn't have to tell you this way."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!
> 
> I finished the first draft of Hero; now I'm going over the second draft. With NaNoWriMo coming up, it may not be available to read until the beginning of 2019, but I will definitely have something new coming out shortly after I'm done publishing this.
> 
> Comments are always appreciated.


	11. Comfort

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> June deals with the loss of her parents.

**Day**

I watch as all the joy drains from June's face.

Visiting Day is supposed to be something that you look forward to.  Just a few minutes ago, I was blissfully happy while I was with my mother and brothers.  Now, I'd trade every bit of happiness that I had just to make her sadness go away.

June crumbles into her brother's arms.  He puts his arms around her.

I begin to wander away, not wanting to intrude on this moment.  She reaches out and takes my hand.

"No, stay with me," she says, her eyes pleading.  "I want you here."

I don't really want to be a third wheel, but I'll stay with her if she wants me to.  I'd do anything to make June happy.  Especially right now.

She pulls away from her brother and turns to me.  "Metias, this is my friend Day."

"Hi." I wave at him weakly.  June is still holding on to my other hand.

"Nice to meet you," Metias says.  He glances down at our clasped hands.

"How'd it happen?" June asks, looking back at her brother.

"Car accident.  Drunk driver.  They were coming home from work."

"I need to sit."  June looks like she's about to faint.  She lets go of my hand.  We search for a bench to sit on.  I sit on one side, while Metias sits on the other.

She looks down at her folded hands.  I feel awkward.  I don't know what to say.  I feel like she should be here with just her brother, but she wants me with her, so I stay.

I reach back down to hold her hand.  Metias puts his arms around her shoulder.  We stay here for a while, silent.

 

The rest of Visiting Day was a blur.  It was supposed to be a good day, but who can be happy when your best friend is in so much pain?  I know that she tried to put on a good face, but how can you be cheerful when you find out that your parents have died and you never had the chance to say goodbye?

Four announced the rankings that evening.  I was second, after Josiah, but I don't really care.  Nothing really matters right now.

In the bed next to mine, I hear soft crying.  June.  She didn't weep with homesickness after we joined Dauntless, but I don't blame her for sobbing now.

"June," I whisper.  I reach over and touch her hand.  It's so soft.

She looks up at me.  The sadness in her eyes breaks my heart.

I scoot over on my bed and pull back the blanket.  "Come here."

_Okay, that was stupid.  I just told a girl to get in bed with me.  I probably just pissed her off_.

She smiles weakly, but gets up and lies down next to me.

I put my arm around her waist.  She buries her head in my chest.  Her back shakes from sobbing.  Even though this is just June, my friend, I feel like I’m doing something wrong.  I've never laid in bed with a girl before.

"I'm so sorry this happened to you," I run my hand along her hair.  "I wish so badly that I could take away your pain.  I love you so much."  _Wait, what_?  "You're my best friend."  I don't know what I was thinking when I said I loved her, but she is my best friend, so let's hope she thinks that was what I meant.  I don't even know what I meant.

"I shouldn't be so upset."  Her eyes are bloodshot.  "Faction before blood, right?"

"That doesn't mean that you don't love your family."

She takes in a deep, sobbing breath.  "You're such a good friend."

She sits there for a while, softly crying, while I stroke her back.  I run my hands through her soft hair.  Eventually, she calms down.

"You must be uncomfortable," she whispers.  She pushes me onto my back and lays on top of me, straddling my hips.  I suck in a breath in surprise.  She rests her head on my chest, and I put my arms around her waist.

_Okay, this is much worse.  Or nicer, depending on your perspective_.

Her body feels perfect against mine.  Maybe a little too perfect.  I can feel my body react to her in ways that it probably shouldn't.

Maybe she won't notice.

"Oh," she exclaims.  Well, there goes hoping she didn't notice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!


	12. Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So what's going on with Day and June?

**June**

"I'm sorry," he whispers.

Okay, that was really dumb of me.  What was I thinking?  It probably wasn't the smartest idea to get in bed with him in the first place, but I definitely shouldn't have laid down on top of him.

"Don't be sorry.  I should have known better."  I lay still for a moment.  "It feels kinda nice," I whisper into his ear.  _Why did I say that?  That was dumb_.

"Yeah, it does," he whispers back.  _What?_

I’m not sure what to think.  It’s flattering to know he's attracted to me.  I’m definitely attracted to him.  He told me that he loved me.  _Like a friend, you idiot._   Friends love each other.  That must be what he meant.

But friends normally don’t lie in bed together like this, with obvious attraction towards each other.

I dated a few boys when I was in Erudite.  I even kissed a couple of them.  But I’ve never felt about anybody the way that I feel about Day, and I’ve never even kissed him.  Although I am lying here in bed with him, knowing that he's obviously feeling some physical type of attraction towards me.  I certainly never did _that_ with any boy I ever dated before.

Maybe there already is more than a friendship between us, but neither of us recognizes it or is willing to admit it to ourselves, yet.

I let myself lie there, savoring the feel of him next to me, until we both fall asleep.

 

When I wake up, I’m lying on my side, facing away from Day, whose arm is around my waist.

Somehow, I manage to get out of bed without waking him up.  He stirs a little as I put the blanket back over him.

Oron is already awake, putting on his shoes.  He's looking at me.

"That wasn't what it looked like."

"So you didn't just get out of Day's bed?"  He raises his eyebrows.

"I did but -- we didn't --"

"Well, that's obvious."  He snorts.  "It's not like you could have had sex in a room with eight other people without somebody noticing."

I can feel my face turn pink.  In Erudite, if you were sleeping with somebody, people would definitely gossip about it.  I don't know how that works in Dauntless, since nobody really seems to care.  Recklessness seems to be encouraged in this faction.

 

I grab a muffin for breakfast and sit down next to Penny.  She leans forward on one of her elbows.

"So… What's up with you and Day?"

"We're friends."  I begin to peel the wrapper off my muffin.

"Really?  That's it?"

"What else would we be?"

"Oh, I dunno," she takes a bite of her muffin.  "You two seemed pretty cozy in bed together last night."

I shake my head.  "I felt bad because my parents had died.  He just wanted me to feel better."

"So if my parents had died then you think I would have ended up in bed with Day last night?  Would Oron have slept with him?  I don't think so."

I sigh.  "It's not like that at all."

"Really?  We're supposed to all believe you actually run together for an hour every day?"

"Sometimes we use the punching bags in the training room.  What else would we be doing?"

"Oh, I don't know…" she rolls her eyes.  "What would a boy and a girl that are obviously totally into each other go off and do alone together for an hour every day?"

"I'm not totally into him," I protest, throwing a piece of my muffin at her.  "We're just friends."  _I think_.

"You keep telling yourself that.  Maybe it will happen."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So who's excited for Legend 4 next fall? I know I am!
> 
> I hope to finish publishing the last few chapters before the end of the month, because I'll be working on an original novel for NaNoWriMo in November. That will probably take most of my attention for the rest of the year. But I do have several partially finished fanfics in the works that I hope to publish here in 2019 (including HERO, which I'm revising at the moment).
> 
> Thank you for reading. Comments are always appreciated.


	13. Fears

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stage 2 of Dauntless initiation begins.

**Day**

I’m so tired this morning.  Hopefully stage two won't be something physically draining.

Did last night happen?  I look at the bed next to mine.  June isn't here; she probably already left for breakfast.  It looks like her bed was slept in.  It was probably just a dream.  A really vivid dream.

I sit up.  Oron is looking at me with curiosity.

"I can't figure out whether you're an idiot or an absolute genius."

"What do you mean?"  I rub the sleep from my eyes.

"Oh, I'm crying, I'm so sad," he says in a soprano voice.  Oron switches to a deeper voice.  "Well, get in bed with me then; I have something in my pants that will make you happy again."

Well, evidently, last night wasn't a dream.  "I didn't say that!"  I push him on the shoulder.

He switches to his soprano voice.  "Oh, Day, this is so nice!  Maybe it would be nicer still if I climb on top of you.  Oops!  What's this bulge in your pants?"

I can feel my face turning red.

Oron laughs.  "You should see yourself!"

"I’m so happy my embarrassment amuses you."

"Hey, I'm not the guy who got a girl to sleep in his bed last night.  That was you.  Do you know how many guys would kill to be able to tell a girl to climb in bed with him and have her actually do it?"

"It wasn't anything.  I just wanted her to feel better."

"And that, my friend," he places his hand on my shoulder, "is why it worked.  Because you weren't saying it just because you wanted to get in her pants.  Which is why you might be a genius.  But you also might be an idiot, because you don't realize you're in love with her."

"Of course I love her.  She's my best friend."

"I didn't say you love her.  You love your mom and your brothers.  I'm sure you love her, but you're also _in love_ with her.  There's a difference.  You're not _in love_ with your mom.  But you are with June."

I shake my head.  "Why do you say that?"

"It's obvious."  He rolls his eyes.  "You're always together.  You're always touching her.  All you have to do is look at you two together in order to realize it."

 

For the second stage of our training, we all sit in a hallway, transfers and Dauntless-born initiates alike.  I’m sitting next to June and Penny.

Four has been calling us, one by one, into another room.  Oron already went in, but he never came back out; there must be a back exit to the room.  Nobody knows what happens in there.  Well, maybe the Dauntless-born initiates do, but if they do know anything, they're not telling.

"So, who's first so far?" a boy asked.  I remember him from the capture the flag game as Jason.

"I am." Josiah is beaming with pride.  "Except I think the Stiff has been the most successful overall."  I glare at him.  "He and June had a little fun together last night."

"We did not!" I protest.  June's face is red, and I’m sure that mine is as well.  "Nothing happened."

"Of course nothing happened."  Josiah laughs.  "We all know you're a Stiff.  You're fun to tease though."

I frown.  There's not many times that being a Stiff brings an advantage, but I guess it's more believable that June and I didn't do anything as a result.  Although in the dorm room, it would be a little hard to hide it if June and I actually had been fooling around.

Four opens the door.  "Day, you're next."  I stand up and head into the room.  I have no idea what to expect.

I certainly didn't expect a chair.  It's a reclining chair, similar to the one that they use during the aptitude tests.  A computer sits next to it.

"Sit down," Four points to the chair. I comply.

"What are we doing in here?"

"Stage two focuses on controlling your emotions in the face of fear.  I'll give you an injection that will stimulate negative emotions, like terror.  It will give you a hallucination of one of your fears.  Your brain will create an electrical signal that will be sent wirelessly to our computers, where I will monitor your simulation.  You will stay in the simulation until your heart rate lowers and your breathing becomes more steady."

He pulls out a syringe with a long needle.  The serum inside is orange.

"I hope you're not afraid of needles."

"Not really," I shrug.  He brings the needle to my neck and pushes the plunger.  I feel a sharp sting in my neck for about a second.

"Be brave, Day," he says.

 

I’m in my old bedroom in Abnegation.  I think it's my bedroom, at least.  The sheets are gray, like my bedroom at home.  My room has two beds though: one for me, and the other for my brother John.  This room only has one bed.  All Abnegation houses look similar; maybe that's what's going on.

I'm sitting in a chair, and June is lying on the bed.  She's wearing the dress that she wore to the dance club shortly after we got to Dauntless.  I smile at my friend.  _Why is June here?_   This doesn't make sense.  My parents would never allow me to be alone in a bedroom with a girl.

"Why are you here?" she asks.

"I think this is my room."  I look around, still confused.  "Why are _you_ here?"

The door opens behind me.  June gasps, and her eyes widen in terror.  I turn around and see Eric.

Eric in a bedroom with June is a bad combination.  I can feel it in my gut.  I open my mouth to tell him to get out, but my mouth is silent.  I can't say anything.

I try to stand up to throw him out, but I can't move.

"Your perverted boyfriend wanted to watch." Eric sneers at her.

_Watch what?_   This can't be good.

Eric lies down on the bed next to my June.  He flashes me an evil look.

"Get away from me, asshole."  June's expression of fear turns to one of terror.  "Day, I can't move.  Help me!"

"He doesn't want to help you."  His voice is smooth and slimy.  Eric puts his hand on her leg.

"Don't touch me!" she shouts.  Her voice becomes more panicked as his hand runs up her thigh.  "Stop that!"

I want to do something, but I can't move.  For some reason, I’m paralyzed.  I want to say something, but my voice isn't working.

"Day, help me, you bastard!  I thought you loved me!"

I've never felt so helpless in my life.  I want to turn away.  I want to close my eyes, but the same force that prevents me from stopping this monster won't let me.  I am forced to watch as he hurts my best friend, as she screams, as she blames me.

If I am ever able to move again, I will kill him.

Something in my gut tells me I need to calm myself.  I’m not going to ever be any help to June if I don't stop panicking.  I focus on my breathing.  Breathe in.  Breathe out.  Kill Eric when you can.  Calm down.

I find myself in Dauntless.  In a metal chair.  In a room with Four.  There are tears in my eyes.

"What the hell was that all about!" I shout, jumping out of my seat.  Anger from what I just saw is pulsing through my veins.  "Why did you do that?"

"I don't pick out what appears in the simulations," Four says.  "Your brain finds something you're afraid of and creates it.  Evidently, you fear something happening to your girlfriend and not being able to help her."

I look down.  "She's not my girlfriend, you know."

"Doesn't matter.  Obviously you care enough about her for her to appear in the simulation."

I frown.  I’m still having trouble breathing after seeing that.

"Most people's fear simulations are not like that," Four says.  "A lot of simulations involve things like the fear of bugs of various types, heights, and other phobias.  Most people also don't see the same simulation twice during this stage of initiation, so you're unlikely to see _that_ again until your fear landscape."

"What's that?"

"During the last stage of initiation, you will go through a final exam where you face all of your fears.  Unlike today, you will know that you are in a simulation."  He smirks.  "You'll be able to kill Eric then, if you'd like.  Between now and then, you might want to mentally prepare for how you would deal with this scenario if you knew it were a simulation."

I nod.  "How to kill Eric, then."

Four removes the wires that are attached to his forehead.  "Eric is not one of my favorite people either."  The corners of his mouth turn up in a slight smile.  "Anyway, your simulation time was seven minutes, which was pretty good, especially for the first time.  You're free for the rest of the day now."

I get up and leave the room through the back entrance.  Rage and fear are still pooling in my gut.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	14. What's Left Unsaid

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> June's first fear scenario.

**June**

Four calls Day into the other room.  I watch him as he goes.

"What do you think is in there?" Penny asks.

"I don't know.  I shake my head.  "It probably can't be good though.  This _is_ Dauntless we're talking about."

I've been counting the time in my head between Four calling people.  There doesn't seem to be any pattern to it.  After Four called Tasha into the other room, it was fifteen minutes and forty-two seconds before he called Oron.  Then it was another eight minutes and thirty-seven seconds.  It's been eight minutes and fifty-six seconds since he called Day.

I hear yelling in the other room.  Day seems to be shouting at Four.  Four doesn't seem like the kind of person to allow you to yell at him like that, so I hope he doesn't get into trouble or anything.

The door opens.  "June."

I follow him into the room.

The room has a metal chair that reclines, similar to the ones that we saw during our Aptitude Test.  Four motions to the chair, and I sit.

"Is this another simulation?"

"This isn't like the simulation you took during the Aptitude Test," Four explains.  "Your amygdala will create images of things that frighten you the most.  The computer here," he motions to a mobile cart with a computer on it, "will allow me to monitor what you are seeing.  Once you are able to calm yourself down, by lowering your breathing and your heart rate, you will leave the simulation."

I nod in understanding.

Four takes out a syringe with a long needle attached to it, filled with orange serum.  "I'll need to inject you with this in order to get it to work."

I move my hair out of the way so he can have access to my neck.  He looks at me and frowns.

"Is there something wrong?" I ask.

"No, you're fine."  He sighs.  "I just see too much of people's fears sometimes."

He plunges the needle into my neck.  "Be brave, June."

 

I’m in Erudite.  The streets here are well-maintained, unlike the streets around Dauntless where I jog with Day, which are run down and full of potholes.  I'm not sure what I'm doing here.

I see Day up ahead, on the other side of the street.  He's walking towards me, wearing a pair of sweats.  _He looks damn good_.  He sees me and smiles.

We must be jogging together this afternoon.  I start to run towards him.

Day starts to jog across the street.  Without warning, a car screams around the corner, hits him, and drives off.  The thump of his body hitting the car and the pavement jars me.

"Day!" I shout, running towards him.  My heart starts pounding.  This can't be happening.  Not after I lost my parents the same way.

He's lying in the street.  After I reach him, I cradle him under my arms and pull him to the side of the road.  He's heavy.  When we get to the sidewalk, I set him on my legs and hold him, rocking him gently.

His head is a bloody mess from where he must have hit the pavement.  His body is bleeding from where it scraped across the cement.  He is barely conscious.

"Stay with me Day," I say.  Tears are leaking down my face.  I can tell that he can barely focus on me.

"June,'' he croaks.  "I love you."

"I love you too," I say.  I've never said it to him before, but I mean it, and if he's dying, then I want him to know it before it's too late.

His eyes slowly close, as if he's having trouble keeping them open.

"No!" I shout.  "Stay awake!  Don't leave me."

"I -- can't."  His eyes close.

"No!"  I hold him and rock back and forth, but I know he can't be saved.  I try to calm my breaths.  I try to keep from panicking.

I wake up in a metal chair.  My face is wet with tears.  Four is looking at me.  He almost looks like he doesn't believe what he saw.

"Your time was --"

"Six minutes and forty-four seconds," I finish.  I've always had this innate ability to be able to tell how long something has taken.  The only time I'm sometimes off is when I'm sick.

"That's correct," Four says.  He types something into the computer.  "That's a good time.  Most people will only see their fears once during this stage, so you'll probably see a different fear next time.  When you get to the third stage, the fear landscape, you'll know that you are in a simulation.  As you prepare for this scenario, try to think of ways to calm your fears when this happens."

"So I'll probably see a different fear next time?"

"Yes."  Four stands up from his chair.  "You have the rest of the day free."

I stand up and walk out of the room using the back entrance.

I wonder what Day's fear scenario looked like.

 

When I get back to the dorms, Day is sitting on his bed, playing cards with Oron.

"Hey, June," Day says absentmindedly.  Part of him seems like he is off in another world.  Sad.

"When you finish that hand, let's go for a run."  I sit next to him on the bed.

"Okay."

Oron looks up from his hand.  "You're not inviting me today?"

Day gives me a look that says _no_.  I agree.  There are things I need to discuss with him.

"No," I say.  "You never want to come anyway."

Oron throws his cards down on his bed and makes a face.  "You're right, I wouldn't want to come.  We do enough physical training as it is.  You two go.  I’m going to lose this hand anyway."

We walk out of the dorms silently, not saying anything.  So much has happened since our last run.  My parents.  Last night.  The simulation.  There's so much to process.

After we leave the Dauntless compound, we start running.  We don't say much to each other as we run the route that has now become so familiar to us.  My lungs start to burn, but it's a good feeling.  We're faster than we were when we started.

Before we get ready to turn around, I sit on the steps at the entrance of an old, abandoned skyscraper.  Day sits next to me, facing me.


	15. My Best Friend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What do you say after fear scenarios like those? The end.

**Day**

"We need to talk." June stares at her hands for a moment.

I nod, but I’m not sure where she wants to start.  "About what?"

She sighs as she looks back up at me.  "I don't think we can be friends any more."

My face falls.  This is the last thing I expected her to say.  _Did I do something wrong?  Was she upset that my body wouldn't behave last night?_

"Why?"  I'm trying not to show how disappointed I am.

She leans into me.  "Because I want more.  Don't you?"

My heart is pounding.  A small smile returns to my face.  I lean even closer to her, so that our lips are almost touching.  "Yes.  Much more."

I know I want to kiss her, at the very least.  Possibly more.  Probably more.  I'm scared.

I brush June's hair behind her back.  "I want more, but I'm afraid.  What if things don't work out?  What if we don't like it?  I don't want to lose you as a friend.  I love you."

June looks down.  "You were in my simulation today."

"You were in mine."

She looks at me with surprise.  "You were dying.  I watched a car hit you, like I lost my parents.  I watched you die."

I put my hand on her shoulder.  "I'm sorry."

"When you were dying, I realized that I wanted to tell you something, before it's too late.  I wanted you to know that I loved you as well."

I put my arms around her, and she returns the embrace.  "I don't understand," I say into her hair, "I just met you, but it seems like you're the world to me now."  I close my eyes and revel in the feeling of her being so close to me.

"What was your simulation about?" she asks.

I shudder.  "You don't really want to know.  It involved Eric -- hurting you -- and I was not able to stop him.  I wanted to kill him."

I pull away, just a bit, so I can see her face.  She smiles at me.  "My Abnegation boyfriend.  Wanting to kill someone.  Who would have thought?"

"Uh, yeah, that's why I chose Dauntless."

"Good choice."

The fear I feel right now is different than the fear I felt earlier today during the simulation.  I’m afraid of what is to come.  I'm afraid of losing the best thing that's ever happened to me.  If I don't take this step of faith, I may lose it anyway.

I look into her beautiful gold-flecked brown eyes.  "This might be the most Dauntless thing I do during initiation," I tell my best friend, as I press my lips to hers for the first time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading this story! I'm happy to have this out before NaNoWriMo starts this year. My top priority from November to the end of the year is working on my original story, but I'm working on the second draft of another Legend fanfic, have a Young Elites fanfic where I'm about 2/3 done with the first draft, have another Young Elites fanfic in the baby stage, and a Warcross/Legend fanfic in the idea stage, which I hope to publish in 2019. So I'll see you then.
> 
> As always comments are appreciated.


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